


Just My Luck

by ValkyrieGail



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cat!Jack, Coffee Shops, Cursed Human Jack, Curses, Dark Magic, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kitty!Jack, M/M, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shapeshifting, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-17 13:43:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 49,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11852787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieGail/pseuds/ValkyrieGail
Summary: Jack was a proud, accomplished young hunter. That was until he double crossed a witch and was cursed to live out his days as a lowly feline. Jack now wanders the streets, burdened to bring bad luck to those who love or care for him until he can figure out how to break the curse.Fast forward 10 years later to Gabriel Reyes, an ex-military who’s decided to open his own coffee house with his business partner, Jesse McCree. With urging from Jesse, Gabriel decides to adopt a cat companion for the shop.Unfortunately for all involved, he adopts a white scruffy stray he names ‘Soldier.'





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fic inspired by supernatural stories with curses, and shenanigans living with my own cats. Thank you to Kenwave. Maiden, Akiko, and Ohappyfair for inspiration! <3

“You should get a pet.” Jesse McCree suggested while he looked around the coffee shop, grinning in satisfaction with a job well done.  Everything had been meticulously cleaned and polished. “Y’know, a cute little mascot the customers and I can love on.”

The younger man had helped his longtime friend move in to the new space downtown weeks ago. They had spent a month before the grand opening building most of the shelving and furniture from scratch. Anything they couldn’t build, they repurposed from existing pieces that fit the rustic, eclectic theme of the café.  It was a long, tireless process while they made sure everything was up to code, but it had been a fun task to embark on.

Now, they were into their second month of business and business was definitely good. The café was located near the downtown area, bringing in plenty of foot traffic throughout the day and night that kept them busy.

Gabriel Reyes hummed in confirmation from behind the register while he locked up for the night, making sure everything was in order before he turned out the light to his pride and joy; his very own coffee house.  

‘Reaper’s Bounty’

Gabriel’s mother had tried to convince her son to change the name more times than one could count, but Gabriel was set on it. The name fit his coffeehouse; dark-polished oak tables with modern lighting and hardwood floors.  A few dark wood owl statues meticulously placed around the business, matching the owl logo that went with his coffee house’s name.

The grand opening had garnered front page news in the mid-size town in northern Washington; also home to Gabriel’s mother’s side of the family. Gabriel’s _abuela_ had been so proud of her grandson that she framed the article and encouraged him to display it near the front of the establishment.

With business doing well, Gabriel eventually hired another helping hand in Lena, who was an enthusiastic college student that could whip up a latte in the blink of an eye. He also hired one of Jesse’s longtime friends, Genji, who manned the front register and won customers over with his cheerful smile and green hair.

Outside of the hired help, Gabriel also had his _abuela_ who enjoyed coming in to bake with him. She was retired, but loved spending time with her favorite grandson in his shop (which Gabriel would remind her that he was the _only_ grandson). She helped Gabriel make his pastries in the back kitchen, supervising him while also baking some of her amazing bread for the sandwiches the coffee shop offered.

The move from California to Washington had been a positive change in the coffee shop owner’s life. The world went by at a slower pace, lending well to soothe some of the anxieties Gabriel had felt months ago and was still working with.

Gabriel enjoyed getting to know more about the locals and talk literature when he could while he worked. The older man loved books and graphic novels; found comfort in them from when he was in school, in basic training, and when he was deployed overseas. It was evident by the bookshelves that held some free novels to look through; a sort of ‘open library’ for anyone who wanted to read.

The café owner even thought about eventually hosting a poetry/art night once a month.

Jesse cleared his voice, “Is that a yes or a no? A hum ain’t a confirmation.”

Gabriel glanced up, pulled from his thoughts. “To getting a pet?”

“Yeah, to having a little company around here when it’s quiet. Your counselor said it was a good idea for you to get a pet, and you’re out of your parents’ house now, so why not?” Jesse questioned while he finished re-shelving the last borrowed book. He walked over to the older man, a question on his brow.

“Hm...I don’t really have a yard. I would feel guilty with the lack of space for a dog.”

“So get a cat.” Jesse encouraged. “They’re self-cleaning for the most part, don’t take up a lotta space, can handle their own business in a box, _and_ they’re great companions. I had a cat growing up, and he used to play _fetch_ with me. He was a smart lil whip.”

“Was it you or the cat running to get the ball?” Gabriel snorted. He moved out from behind the register and turned out the front lights. Jesse followed him while they meandered towards the back, turning off lights and double checking that the doors were locked. When they got to the backroom, Gabriel unlocked another door that led to a staircase up into the residence quarters above the café.

“I’m sure you saw the cute pictures of the library cats I sent you.” Jesse continued. “I know you keep saying you prefer to live alone, but having a cat is great and they’re more affectionate than some folks give them credit for. It would be good for you. You always melt when you come over to _my_ place and play with Boomer.”

Boomer was Jesse’s mixed German Shepard rescue. He was a great dog; very excited to greet guests and always wanting to show his love and excitement. Gabriel loved playing with the big canine whenever he came over to hang out. The only thing he didn’t like was the way Jesse allowed the dog to lick all over his face and mouth, getting slobber everywhere. _That_ was something that made Gabriel shudder.

The older man had to admit though, the pictures of lazy cats lounging on bookshelves was heartwarming and settled well in his thoughts. He could imagine a handsome little black Tonkinese cat, or perhaps a refined Russian blue roaming around his own store and the image made him smile. It would give him someone to talk to when business was slow, as well as provide some companionship.

Sure, he would have to post at the front of the store for anyone who was allergic to cats, and the feline wouldn’t be allowed behind the counter where drinks and food were being prepared, but those seemed like only slight cons when compared to the pros of having a little guardian for the café.

“See!” Jesse nudged him with his own grin while Gabe considered the images on the phone, “Adorable, huh? They’ll be good company for you and bring good luck for the store.”

“What if I want to get a black cat? Aren’t they supposedly bad luck?”

“Any cat is good luck.” Jesse shook his head, waving the thought away. Gabe entered into his upstairs apartment, holding the door for Jesse to trail in after him.

Gabriel was considering the request seriously, especially when he looked around at his newly moved-into apartment. Everything had been unpacked and set up, but there was a feeling that something was missing.

Perhaps it was a roommate that could come and greet him by the door every day when he got home. Gabriel had to admit that sometimes, it did get a little bit lonely. Especially at night when it was just himself, a book, and the couch with the TV buzzing in the background.

Jesse took off his shoes and made way towards the kitchen. “I’ll make us a few sandwiches, _jefe_. How about you look up our local shelter to see who needs a good home? I know there are a few residents who might fit the bill.”

The older man did just that. He sat back on his couch, his slipper-clad feet resting up on the footrest while he browsed the internet until finding their local shelter page.

“Shelter is open from 10-3.” He stated. “Looks like a nice place. They said it’s a no-kill shelter, too.”

“Yeah, in smaller towns like this they have the capacity.” Jesse added. “Still, an actual home is better than that place. I volunteer there every other Sunday and there’s a few strays who’ve been there for a while. Dunno if you want a younger or an older cat, or if maybe you want to get two?”

“It’ll all depend on their temperament.” Gabriel scrolled through the pictures of the cats up for adoption, wondering how he could ever choose when all of them needed a good home. “I’ll see about getting a second cat later on…for now, I don’t want a full blown cat café just yet.”

“Now that’s a golden idea.” The scruffy haired man snorted. “Y’know, we could just adopt the whole shelter and run a cat café instead. Think of how much fun that would be!”

Gabriel shook his head. “You would be in charge of litter duty if that were the case.”

“Fair enough!”

Jesse brought out two plated sandwiches and chips with a glass of peach tea for them both.

“Just say the word for when you’re ready to bring home a new lil family member, and I’ll accompany you.”

Gabriel smiled, clinking glasses with his friend. “Deal.”

The rest of the evening involved Jesse and Gabriel watching cat videos and cat how-to’s broadcasted on the shop owner’s flat screen. By the time ‘Cats 101’ came on, Jesse bid his boss farewell for the night, leaving the older man bent over his notebook where he was compiling a list of what he needed buy.

He had considered having a pet before, but now that Jesse had wormed in the idea of a friendly feline, it wouldn’t leave. Gabriel knew that having a small companion would do him some good, and he hoped that in return, he could provide a good life for a cat in need. He had always been an animal lover and the prospect of a pet gave him something positive to look forward to.  

*

It seemed especially appealing when later in the night he awoke on the couch sweating and gasping, bile burning in the back of his throat like fire. It felt as if a pair claw tipped hands were retreating from their hold on his throat, allowing him back into the real world to take in a solid breath. He clenched his teeth while he sat up sluggishly; mind burning from a nightmare he couldn’t fully recall other than the smoke and the sounds of frantic yelling and static.

Gabriel blinked at the glow of the TV’s screen, mouth suddenly too dry when the familiar itch began to writhe in his fingertips. His mouth felt too parched, mind too full and pounding. He carefully got up to stumble into the kitchen raggedly, hands anxious to find some relief.

There was a desire to grab his keys and drive to the nearest convenience store, but he diverted.

Instead, he opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of chocolate milk. He took long gulps of the thick drink, washing away the acrid taste from his mouth and hating himself more for wishing it was the comfort of burning alcohol coiling down his throat instead.

After the last drop slipped past his lips, he threw the empty carton into the trash and leaned against the sink, head hanging low. He splashed cold water on to his face and for the first time noticed just how cold his sweat-soaked skin was.

He was shaking uncontrollably.

He hated nights like this, but his counselor had reminded him again and again that this was a lifetime process; that he needed to be more mindful of the ebb and flow of positive and negative energy.

Gabriel took deep, slow filled breaths and closed his eyes. He called to mind the sound of his mother’s voice when she sang in her garden, her spade digging into the rich soil to plant new life while also uplifting the weeds. He kept her image in his mind- her gloved hands turning over the dirt and spreading out fresh store-bought plant food.

Her hands spread out the dark umber soil flecked with white and the image began to change when the consuming static began to fill his ears once more.

The soil lightened to the hot desert sand, choking and unyielding. The gloved hands burned and charred while they overturned the earth and began to unveil the remnants of a corpse, slipping past the blood and muscle that melted from bone-

“ _Fuck_ -!” Gabriel inhaled and pushed away from the sink.

Frustrated with his head and the images that plagued him even years after the incident; he wandered into his room in hopes that a hot shower would calm his mind. While he undressed, he avoided his reflection in the mirror where the scars glared back at him.

He didn’t want to read into their stories tonight.

He didn’t want to trace his failures. 

*

*

Jesse picked him to go to the shelter the following week after Gabriel had done enough research and shopping to ensure he was both capable of having a pet, as well as had the right environment for one. When he ran the proposal across to his counselor, their face had lit up with encouragement for him to pursue having a small pet.

A ‘comfort companion’ was what his counselor had called it.

There were specific places Gabriel could go to get a service animal, but he was more interested in a cat and there were plenty of felines who needed a good home at the shelter. He had made the promise to himself to go to the shelter, and he was adamant about seeing it through.

Thus, he and Jesse rode in the cowboy’s old pickup truck with the windows rolled down to let in the cool breeze. 

Gabriel had butterflies roiling in his stomach while his hands fiddled with his phone. He was nervous and excited to meet all of the cats. He was anxious on whether or not he would connect with any of them or feel the same love he had felt for his childhood dog, Bruce.

(The dog’s full name had been ‘Bruce Wayne’ and had been a handsome chocolate lab mix that lived to a ripe old age of fourteen.)

“You gettin’ cold feet over there?” Jesse hummed while he tapped on the steering wheel.

Gabriel huffed, “Just drive.”

Jesse whistled along with the radio while he parked the car. They entered into the shelter and wrote their names on a sign-in sheet while a staff person welcomed them and led them towards the back where the cats were.

“Hey fellas.” Jesse cooed when he came into the room, his face lighting up with a smile while he began to visit the regulars and greet the newcomers. A chorus of meows echoed throughout the room, bringing a smile to Gabriel’s own face while he observed the different residents.

“Are there any particular traits you’re looking for?” The shelter volunteer, Vanessa, asked.

Gabriel shook his head. “Not really. Just looking for a cat that is mostly well behaved and is already litter box trained.”

Vanessa beamed, “Well, you might want to look at the older cats then. The kittens are quite rambunctious.” She gestured towards the cages further down where some of the older residents were lounging or sleeping. Gabriel was glad to note that the facility was clean and it seemed like the cats were all very well taken care of.

“Are there any older cats who’ve been here a while?” Gabriel questioned while he walked slowly, glancing at each of the cat’s nametags. Many of the felines looked to him with curious eyes.

“Well, we do have one resident who’s been here for a few weeks already. He had ringworm so he was in quarantine for a while, but he just got clearance from the vet for adoption.”  Vanessa pointed to a corner cage. “He looks a little rough around the edges, but I promise he’s a very sweet cat.”

As they got closer, the feline immediately pulled in his attention.

On the bottom shelf of the cage there was a medium long-haired white cat.

The first thing he noticed about the cat was that he had two long diagonal scars across his face. One scar began at the top of his head and pressed down between his eyes and over his nose. The second scar was across his lips. There was also a nick in his right ear and the top of his canine teeth poked through his lips. The volunteer hadn’t been kidding when she said the cat looked a little rough.  

The cat sat in what Gabriel called the ‘turkey pose’, with his front paws tucked underneath a thin body and a somewhat fluffy white tail wrapped around his left side. The old cat regarded Gabriel with little skittishness and blinked up at him. Deep, ocean blue eyes were unwavering when Gabriel tried to poke his finger through the cage gently to see if the cat would come to him like the kittens had seemed inclined to do. 

The cat craned his head closer, sniffing the human’s scent curiously.

“Hey little man.” He greeted, smiling.

Gabriel looked over to the information card curiously.

The cat’s name was ‘76’, named for the USA when he was found on July 4th in an alleyway, hiding underneath a dumpster by one of the local restaurants. He came in malnourished with a wounded paw, ringworm, and an eye infection that were all cleared up from a local foster group who cared for him under the veterinarian’s guidance.

He was an older cat, around 7-8 years old; neutered, microchipped, and with a laidback temperament. He was in need of a forever home where he could live out his senior years.

The negatives seemed to be that he was prone to trying to escape his residence, so it was highly recommended that he remain an indoor-only cat.

Looking at the feline in question, Gabriel could see that the years of life living on the streets was evident on the cat’s body. He was still a handsome cat, but he reminded Gabriel of an old soldier coming back home from a war.

The feline eventually closed his eyes and laid his head down to reposition into a more closed-off pose.

Something clicked, and Gabriel’s heart beat faster.

_He’s the one._

Jesse was still cooing at and playing with the small kittens a few cages over. Gabriel cleared his voice. “I think I'd like to adopt this guy over here.”

The brown haired man sauntered over with a smile that slowly melted away when he saw the tousled old cat in the cage. “A _white cat_ , Gabriel? You really think that’ll go good with all the _black_ that you wear?”

“He needs a home.”

“Everyone here needs a home.” Jesse gestured back towards the kittens. “Look, they have a few cute little dark haired ones over here.”

Gabriel frowned. “No, I’m good.” The more he looked at the old white cat, the more he could imagine their calm demeanor bringing some life into the bookstore. “He’s the right choice, Jesse. Look how much personality he has.”

“He’s _sleeping_.”

“A kitten would be crawling all over the place. I need a skilled mascot.”

“He looks like one of those back alley brawling cats.”

“He’s been here since July.” Gabriel pointed out, “And it’s almost October.”

Jesse sighed. It was obvious Gabriel had made his choice, even though the feline was old and Jesse hoped it had a few more years of life left in it. Gabriel had been devastated when his tomato plant died, so a pet? Much worse.

“Have you decided?” Vanessa asked, trying not to seem like she was hovering although the spark of excitement in her eyes told the old veteran she’d been listening in.

“Yeah, I think this old man here would be perfect.”

The younger woman brightened. “We have a meet and greet area just back here.” She motioned to a small sitting room with a few cat toys inside. “I’ll secure 76 out of his cage so that you two can get acquainted.”

Jesse led Gabriel into the meet and greet area while Vanessa retrieved the cat. Gabriel stood anxiously, arms folded while he paced.

“Calm down, _mi amigo_. It’s not like you’re adopting a human.” Jesse chuckled. “You look like a new parent.”

“Sure feels like it.” Gabriel sighed.

Vanessa came back into the room, holding the cat carefully in her arms. 76 didn’t writhe or try to get away from her while she held him expertly. “Like I said, he’s a very sweet boy. He’s never bit or scratched any of us, and he _loves_ chin and belly rubs.”

She placed the cat down on the ground where he stood on on all fours and made a long stretch. Vanessa handed over a small container of cat treats to the older man. 

Gabriel crouched down, shaking the treats. The cat’s ears perked up in interest and he sauntered over to Gabriel with interest, sniffing at his fingers.

“Hey little man.” Gabriel grinned.

76 rubbed his cheeks and forehead along the veteran’s hands, a soft purr rumbling from his chest. He felt some moisture and glanced down with a raise of his brow.

Vanessa tried to repress a laugh, “He does happen to drool a little when he knows food is coming. The vet said it’s completely normal, though.”

Pulling a treat from the container, Gabriel offered it to the purring cat who took it from his fingers delicately before munching away. He ran his hand down 76’s side, brightening when the cat arched into the touch.

“He’s not afraid of people, is he?”

“No, not at all. The foster family he was with also had kids and they said he did great with the little ones.” Vanessa explained. “He does get a little spooked out by loud noises, but he’s good with people and with dogs.”  
A paw pressed against his knee. 76 pushed up on his hind legs, sniffing at where Gabriel had the container of treats. With his free paw, he tried to pull in the human’s wrist to get more of the tasty food.

Jesse laughed, “I’d say he has no fear.”

Gabriel offered the white cat another treat. 76 gobbled it up excitedly, his purr rumbling from deep in his chest. Every time the human pet along his fur, the cat seemed to press into the touch, appreciating the attention.

“He’s the one.” Gabriel stated, dark brown eyes soft with fondness. He couldn’t explain it in words, but it just felt _right_ to choose the old stray and give him a second chance.

_Much like Gabriel had been given a second chance at life._

“I’m glad. He’s been here a long time and deserves a good home. I think he’ll be very happy with you.” Vanessa agreed. “I’ll go ahead and get the adoption papers ready for you. I’ll be back in just a moment.”

“Hopefully he’s loving you and not just the treats in your hand.” Jesse tilted his head.

“He will live like a king.” Gabriel set the treats on the side table and scratched underneath the cat’s chin. 76 sat down, pushing his head up and into the massage with a content rumble.

“Well, I suppose he _is_ a Reyes now, huh?”

“He definitely is.” The old veteran praised his new little family member, excitement alight in his brown eyes every time those dark blue eyes gazed back up at him.

He had never seen such peculiar shade of blue eyes on a cat before. 

*

*

Gabriel fretted the whole way home on whether or not he had enough supplies for his new fluffy roommate. The cat in question seemed to glance at them in concern from within his new pet taxi, pushing himself to the very back of the brand new carrier Gabriel had purchased for him. He didn’t meow or make any snarling noises in protest, instead leveling everything with a cautious gaze.

“We can’t call him ’76.” The younger man glanced over to Gabe, who was sitting next to the pet taxi, both of them seatbelted.

“I’ll think of a name eventually. I need to get to know him first.”

Jesse nodded, “He seems like a sweetheart, despite how torn up he looks. He fits the theme of the coffee house. Too bad we couldn’t get a bird, though.”

“A bird would definitely bite." Gabriel tapped lightly on the pet carrier. "This week I’ll build a few perches for 76 to climb up and lounge on so that he is comfortable in the cafe. Cats like height."

“It's a good idea. I think you were wise getting an older cat. Sorry I was against it at first…I guess I had my mind set on one of those little black kittens.”

Gabriel smiled, “They were cute, but this old tom has been through a lot. I figure he could use a nice retirement.”

“I won’t tell anyone what a softie you are, Gabriel Reyes.” Jesse glanced down at his phone and smirked. “I’ll walk you two upstairs and then I have to get going for my date.”

“With Genji’s brother, right?”

“Yeah. His name’s Hanzo. You met him before- he had the dragon tattoo on his arm and the piercing.” Jesse tapped at the bridge of his nose.

“ _Oh yeah_. He’s the one that you messed up his order and had to redo it again because you were ogling him.” The older man raised a brow, “Where are you taking him?”

“He wanted to see a movie and grab a bite to eat. I’m nervous as all hell, though.” The brown haired man confessed, “Full moon in a few days is making me twitchy, but Genji said his brother is cool with dating someone like me.”

Gabriel reached across the distance and lightly punched at the other’s shoulder. “You've got this. Just don’t go howling at the moon or slobbering on him and you should be fine.”

“ _Asshole_.” Jesse shrugged him off, laughing.

“Just offering my sage advice, _pendejo_.”

*

*

The first thing 76 did when Gabriel opened up the carrier door was to sniff around the floor and loop back to brush up against both Gabriel’s and Jesse’s legs.

“He’s mighty affectionate, isn’t he?” Jesse chuckled with amusement.

Gabriel smiled proudly and knelt down, giving the old white cat some cheek and chin rubs. Once satisfied with the attention, 76 began to wander around the living room, inspecting the area with his nose while his tail swayed behind him with interest.

He especially seemed to like the cat tree. He hopped up the new piece of furniture to the top where it looked out the window. The cat seemed pleased while he stretched and clawed at the play structure.

“He takes ownership like it’s no one’s business.” Gabriel observed with pride. He ran his hand down 76’s back. “See? Good boy.”

“The fact that you got a _white_ cat that’ll get hair all over your black shirts still eludes me.” Jesse shook his head.

“He’ll be king of the whole building, my lil soldier.” Gabe cooed. The cat arched his back and meowed in response, satisfied with the praise.

“Well, I’ll leave you two love birds to it. Congratulations on being a cat dad!” Jesse saluted and headed out, Gabriel’s _“Good luck! Don’t fuck it up! Wrap it up!”_ trailing after him. He flipped Gabe off while he descended down the outside stairs.

The old veteran turned to his cat.

 _His_ cat.

His new family member.

76 was glad to be lavished with chin and head rubs, the cat eventually turning on his back so that Gabriel could gently run his hand from the cat’s chest to his fluffy stomach.

_A new home._

*

*

*

Jack had never meant to cause trouble.

He also had never meant to get caught, but living life on the streets eating garbage and food scraps did little to lend to exuberant health and energy. Especially when the weather was so warm and humid out, causing his fur to snarl and his body to feel overheated. He had been doing his best to take care of himself, but he was so tired and it was so hot…

All he had wanted was a cool place to rest his head and sleep.

His health was getting worse and he knew he was running out of time.

He thought he was at death's door when he had fought off another feral cat and seriously injured himself in the process, cursing the world when then fire and bombs hit the sky and he scurried to hide from the torment on his senses.

He was too weak to fight off the human who pulled him from underneath the dumpster and took him to the shelter. He had tried to escape at every opportunity he had, but he was too weak to manage more than annoyed growls and twitchy movements.

Perhaps it had all been a small blessing.

Now he was in a nice home, laying atop a brand new cat tree while a human spoke quietly to him, running his fingers along his skin in gentle touches.

The kindness was appreciated after so long on the streets. He also enjoyed the quiet of the home where the smell of this new man lingered about, calm and masculine. He could also scent something else, his ears twitching when he glanced behind the human to a movement in the shadows.

It was unnerving and his eyes quickly dilated, alarm ringing in his senses.

He had seen ghosts in homes before. Those who were unable to pass to the next life and lingered on with their families or in the homes they had passed away in. He was used to ghosts, but this entity was different. Ghosts came off hazy and gray; a smell of frost accompanying them.

Whatever this thing was had a hint of putrid sulfur and death to it.

He moved back on to all fours hurriedly. His caretaker, Gabriel, wad calling after him when he jumped down quickly and scampered off down the hall, eyes tracking the slight movement.

 _The hell?_ Jack thought, mind filled with churning concern. _It couldn’t already be happening…I_ just _got here._

Jack turned into what he assumed was the human’s bedroom and stopped cold, hair standing on end when he saw the dark wraith like outline of a figure in the corner of Gabriel’s room. It hovered there, regarding the small cat carefully with glowing red eyes.

Though, the shadow figure knew that Jack wasn’t just a cat. 

“76?” Gabriel’s voice came from the hall. Jack glanced back when the human came into view. “What’re you doing, just sitting there?” Gabriel snorted and scooped up the cat into his arms. “C’mon, you need a bath. I also have a new collar for you, big guy.”

Jack wasn’t a fan of getting wet, but he was too concerned about whatever it was that was also living in Gabriel’s home to care in the moment. He glanced back to the corner, trying to wiggle out of Gabriel’s hold to get a better look.

Whatever the dark figure was, it was gone.

Its scent still burned in his nose like a warning.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus, I continue feeding my thirst for more Kitty!Jack.  
> There will be more supernatural and horror elements in the story. ;) I've always wanted to do a coffeeshop AU, and I wanted to toy with curses and supernatural things, so I combined them! Hope you enjoy!!  
> In this story, Gabriel is in his late 30’s, early 40’s. Jack will also get his new name, 'soldier' in the next chapter. 
> 
> Please come say hello!~  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh the river, oh the river, it's running free  
> And oh the joy, oh the joy it brings to me  
> But I know it'll have to drown me  
> Before it can breathe easy
> 
> And I've seen it in the flights of birds  
> I've seen it in you. The entrails of the animals  
> The blood running through, but in order to get to the heart  
> I think sometimes you'll have to cut through  
> but you can't...  
> -'Heartlines' - Florence + the Machine

 

Jack didn’t particularly care for baths, but he tolerated the lukewarm water and organic shampoo Gabriel used to rid the shelter smell off of him. He was more familiar with the routine flea baths and had disliked them greatly, but this new shampoo didn’t hurt his nose and Gabriel was very attentive to Jack’s minor annoyances. For as big and threatening as Gabriel had first appeared to be, his scarred hands were gentle and thorough while they massaged and rid the specks of dirt from Jack’s white fur. He couldn’t help the beginning rumbles of a purr that his feline physiology demanded, no matter how embarrassing it seemed.

He kept glancing behind the human, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever _it_ was that he saw glide away and disappear in the corner of his new owner’s bedroom. In life, Jack used to study pictures of supernatural beings while his father, John, quizzed him from across the kitchen table. He tried to place the being that he saw, but if he had known at one time, it was perhaps lost with most of his memories.

The thought of Jack’s human life proved bitter on his tongue and caused him to wince, his whole back tightening when a stab of pain clouded his head.

_Memories…_

Little by little, the curse was eating away at his cognizance of his old self.

It had started with little things at first. Details such as what high school he had gone to, or what his favorite color had been. He forgot the name of the diner his grandparents would treat him to after church on Sundays. He couldn’t recallt how many rooms were in his family home, or what turn off the road had been to the farm.

How long had it been since he was there? Five years? Ten years? _Fifteen_?

He remembered the moment he forgot his last name, two months into the curse.

He remembered half a year in, when he forgot where he was from and how to get home. By this point, it had seemed impossible to try and traverse across the country to seek out family. A family to which he couldn’t recount an address or a last name to, nor the state.

Things only grew worse as the years grew by.

Jack still remembered his first name, but he soon forgot his mother’s name or what color her eyes and hair had been. He couldn’t remember the sound of her voice when she would sing to him, or the smell of her perfume.

He didn’t know if he had siblings…or were they cousins? He couldn’t recall the name of his best friend or place titles to the albums or hobbies that had been his refuge growing up.  

He couldn’t even remember how or why this curse had been put upon him. Couldn’t think of what he had looked like before the spikes of pain that mangled his bones and flesh, reforming him into a small feline with the promise that he would suffer until his last breath.

That anyone around him who grew to love him would suffer.

Back twitching from over sensitivity, Jack’s ears pressed back while he turned his head to lightly run his teeth at Gabriel’s hand to stop. He was careful not to dig in his sharp canines, not wanting to hurt the man who saved him from his metal cage.

“Sorry little man, almost done.”

Jack reluctantly allowed the human to finish rinsing the soap from his fur before draining the sink. He wrapped Jack up into a fluffy green towel and carefully began to rid some of the water from his now pristine fur.

“You’re so beat up.” Gabriel sighed, running a cautious thumb over the old scars on Jack’s face. “Maybe I’ll call you Soldier. How’s that sound?”

It was better than ‘snowball’ or ‘icicle.’

Jack licked Gabriel’s thumb in agreement. He could only do so much to acknowledge that he understood the human’s words until fear of being found out for what he actually was caused him to give in to his feline instincts. He had been found out before, years ago, and the outcome hadn’t been good for him or the individual.

Gabriel seemed like a good man. The cursed cat could tell so much from his aura, though there seemed to be some static present. Jack watched the human closely while he was being dried and tried to place whether or not Gabriel was fully human, or if there was something more there.

Perhaps it had something to do with the red eyed wraith?

Long ago, when Jack still held all of the knowledge his hunter of a father had passed down to him, he would’ve known in a heartbeat what was human, and what wasn’t.

Now, he wasn’t so sure.

Though, he was positive that the brown haired man in the truck had been a werewolf. He could tell just by the musty dishwater smell that clung to Jesse’s body before his human skin would shed and transform into its supernatural form on the full moon. Jack was good at smelling werewolves; typically hated running across them since they saw killing cats as sport. The thought made him shudder, even though Jesse seemed to be good natured.

However, Gabriel certainly wasn’t a werewolf…

Whatever Gabriel _was_ would come out eventually. Things like that always did, especially when Jack was seen as nothing more than a lowly housecat. He would find out the reason for Gabriel’s wood smoke scent; so different from the putrid sulfur of the wraith that also lived in the apartment.

He briefly wondered if and how the two could be related.

After Jack had been dried sufficiently, he was presented with a new dark red collar with reflective fish bone characters on it. He accepted the new mark of ownership dutifully; unable to say no when he did feel truly grateful that Gabriel had taken him out of the shelter. He wasn’t pleased that there was an annoying bell on the collar, but he could deal with the minor annoyance in exchange for a clean home and a warm bed.

“Good cat.” Gabriel rubbed the side of Jack’s face in approval. “Good little Soldier.”

The human picked up Jack and took him over to the corner where a moderately sized potted fern stood next to a sleek new litter box. “This is your bathroom.” Gabriel instructed. He walked down the hall and turned on his light. “This is _my_ bathroom, but there’s also a litter box in here, too.”

Jack spotted the smaller enclosed box easily, his nose picking up the scent of clean litter.

Gabriel continued to hold the feline securely while he walked around his home, giving Jack a ‘tour’ of sorts even though he was a _cat_. At first Jack thought his new owner might be very lonely, but it seemed the human was just excited to have a new ‘roommate’ so to speak.

The man had an extra bedroom set up with a work desk and a sewing machine. There were still boxes littered about, but the idea that Gabriel enjoyed costume making and sewing perked Jack’s interest. They then moved to the master bedroom, which had a nice walk-in closet, a half bathroom, and Jack’s favorite part; large bay windows overlooking a mostly forested backyard with buildings barely showing through the gaps. The bay windows had a little reading nook underneath them, which Jack immediately ran to when Gabriel set him down.

“I thought you might like the view, lucky cat.” Gabriel chuckled. He patted him on the head. “I’m going to make a snack while you get familiar with the layout.”

Jack was sure to bump his forehead up against Gabriel’s hand, approving of his new home. He would be spending a lot of his time lying on the shelf of the reading nook, enjoying the bay window’s view. His feline instincts looked forward to the possibility of chattering to other birds or seeing wildlife roam outside.

He hoped Gabriel would install a bird feeder.

He wanted to remain there for most of the late afternoon, but he didn’t want to leave his new owner unattended if the wraith came back. After a few minutes, he reluctantly slunk back out into the living room and jumped up on to the cat perch overlooking the kitchen and living room.

Jack was satisfied enough with his relocation to rest and get his thoughts sorted while his keen ears listened to the human mulling around the kitchen.  He was making homemade croissants and the delicious smell wafted to Jack’s nose, mocking the cursed cat. He couldn’t eat human food without feeling sick for days, but he still treasured the delectable scents.

He hoped Gabriel was the type of pet owner who would purchase the high quality type of wet cat food that didn’t taste like old pureed spam.

Not that Jack was overly picky.

He may be a human trapped in a cat’s form, but he still had some taste.

*

Lucky for Jack, Gabriel feeds him a hearty meal of wet and dry cat food mixed together. The brand is obviously expensive and before he knows it, he’s scarfed the food down.

Most of the evening is calm while Gabriel sits on the couch to watch a new romance movie while he texts on his phone and browses the internet on his tablet. A steaming mug of hot tea rests on the stand beside him, and he looks impossibly content with his feet up on the couch and a light-thread homemade blanket strewn across his lap.

Jack eyes the blanket longingly and eventually jumps down, knowing that if he wins the human’s affection, he might get another massage.

He jumped up into the humans lap, surprising the older man.

Gabriel chuckled, “I knew you were the right choice.” He approved while he began to scratch the side of Jack’s head. “You’re just an old man like me, aren’t you, Soldier? You just needed some kindness to come out of your shell.”

His owner sat back on the couch, lightly petting the content cat curled up in his lap. Jack reveled in the warmth and the soft clean smell of the blanket, falling fast asleep.

He drifted in and out of his restful state, at one point opening a lazy eye to Gabriel setting him on the master bed while the human curled up on his side, drifting to sleep in the darkness.

Jack didn’t think much of it.

*

It was the same, putrid sulfur smell that awoke Jack.

The clock on Gabriel’s bedside read 3:00am in green glowing letters, illuminating the barest contours of the human’s face. Jack could see much better with his heightened eyes, although it seemed like an affliction when he noticed the pair of red eyes standing beside Gabriel’s sleeping form.

The wraith was bent slightly forward, one clawed hand resting over Gabriel’s head while the other dug into the veteran’s chest. Gabriel’s face was contorted in pain, sweat dripping down his features while he groaned as if struggling to pull himself from his nightmares.

Jack’s whole body went taut with anger and he hissed, ears falling flat when he jumped at the wraith without a second thought.

The creature pulled back, but Jack continued to swipe at it, hissing and spitting angrily with a long growl. He placed his small body over Gabriel’s chest, back arched and ready to attack.

It wasn’t apparent if he could even hurt the creature, but it was obvious the wraith didn’t appreciate Jack’s presence.

The pair glared at each other, making sense of the situation. The wraith tilted its head.

_“You are not what you appear to be…”_

The voice was deep and raw; a sound he had associated with demons and the darkest of entities in his father’s old guidebooks. Jack’s hair stood up on end.

_“Only a matter of time.”_

The wraith dissolved into nothing before him.

Jack looked down to his owner, the man’s breathing no longer shallow and labored. His eyelids didn’t flutter, and the sweat on his brow began to cool.

Worried about that _thing_ coming back, Jack carefully sprawled himself against the human’s chest, nestling his head up underneath Gabriel’s chin.

The sound of the voice still echoes in Jack’s mind, leaving him to wonder what exactly the wraith is and why it was haunting Gabriel.

_And for how long?_

Realizing that his living situation wasn’t going to be a normal run of the mill gig, Jack secures himself in the knowledge that he could at least ward off the malevolent spirit for as long as he is capable.

It is a small repayment for being given a decent home with an owner who seems to already be struggling with his own inner demons.

Jack looks back to the clock and sighs.

Sometimes, he wished the clock would just stop and leave them suspended in a moment.

A calm before the storm.

*

*

“ _Dios mio_ Gabi, a white cat? Your furniture will be littered in hair and scratched to all hell.” Elena Solis eyed the new resident who sat at the entrance of the hall, both of them sizing each other up. Elena set down her purse and a bag of groceries on the table, frowning.  

Gabriel's grandmother was dressed in a pair of well-worn old jeans with an embroidered navy blue blouse. Her white hair was pulled back into a tight bun, a scarf tied along her neck stylishly. Her eyes were the same warm brown as Gabriel's; deep and infinite like the sun.

“He’s only been scratching on the poles I set around for him.” Gabriel tried to explain, but his grandmother was already moving to inspect his furniture with a slight _tsk_. She pulled a lint roller from her purse.

“So much white hair.” Gabriel’s grandmother ran the lint roller across the blanket Jack had slept on last night. Sure enough, a good amount of hair attached to the sticky device. “Jesse was right. I will need to order you more of these.” She waggled the lint roller towards the cat as if scolding him.

Gabriel was trying to hide a smile while he began to unpack the groceries from the bag. The shop was open downstairs, but Jesse and Lena were manning the front while Gabriel spent some time with his _abuela_ before his shift started in the afternoon.

“His name is Soldier.” The younger man tilted his head to the feline, who still sat in the hallway staring at the two of them.

Elena nodded, “I suppose it will be good for you to have someone to talk to when you’re here alone.” Gabriel leaned down to allow his grandmother to kiss him lightly on the cheek. She paused when she pulled away, sighing again when she noticed the dark circles under Gabriel’s tired brown eyes. “Have you been drinking the tea I gave you?”

“I did last night with some local honey.”

“Did it help?”

“It wasn’t as bad when I slept, but I have a mild headache today.” Gabriel explained. He glanced over to Soldier, who had come into the kitchen to jump up onto the chair and lay down to watch them from the corner of his eyes.

Nosy cat.

Elena rubbed her hand across Gabriel’s shorn head and whispered a few endearments before pulling away to inspect the items laid out on the table. “You really should go to a shaman for this, _mijo_. You are not progressing as fast as you should be.”

“I slept better last night.” He tried to defend.

“You look awful and worn down.” The old woman picked up the sage in her hands, turning the bundle over between her fingers. “You have been unable to connect with your spirit, and thus your health will continue to deteriorate.”

“I know…”

“You always tell me ‘you know’, but do nothing about it.  Jesse cares very much about you to keep me updated on the truth. He said it has been months since your last connection with the spirit world, of which I am not surprised. It’s no wonder you’ve been avoiding the topic with your mother, _and_ with me.”

Gabriel’s mouth strained into a thin line. “Not for lack of trying.”

Elena laid her hand gently over her grandson’s. “I know it has been hard with your condition, but we are all here to support you. We are proud of how far you have come in your rehabilitation and sobriety, Gabi. Finding inner peace will be a lifelong struggle; it is for many of us. You will have to work harder for it, and my heart aches that I cannot carry this burden for you.”

The veteran was quiet while he looked at his grandmother’s weathered old hand over his.

“You may be a Reyes, but you are also a Solis. The sun burns brightly in your heart.” Elena began to open the blinds on the windows, allowing the morning sunlight into the home. “Now then, let’s get ready for the ceremony.”

Elena gathered hands with her only grandson and the pair of them began to insight the prayers passed down in their family for generations. The words rolled off of their tongues in perfect harmony, their eyes closed while they made their intentions known for the purifying of the home and mind.

Carefully, Elena lit the bundle of sage on fire at the tips, the smoke billowing up. She then placed the burning bundle onto an abalone shell while her other hand gripped a large goose feather. She fanned the smoke around the room, repeating the mantra for cleansing with Gabriel.

They moved about the home in a clockwise motion, chanting to incite positive energy to enter the home while pushing out the negative.

The cat followed at their heels, his eyes tracking the smoke curiously.

They took their time purifying the home until they were led back into the kitchen. Elena put out the sage and had Gabriel light incense to invoke feminine (ying) energy into the household to mesh with the masculine (yang) energy of the sage.

Soldier jumped onto the table to sniff at the doused sage. Elena chuckled, petting the cat. “Having a feline will be good to ward off evil spirits.”

“Jesse said white cats are good luck.”

The elderly woman smiled, scratching underneath Jack’s chin. “He has quite a few scars, doesn’t he? Perhaps he has already been doing his job with fighting off dark entities.”

“I think he’s well retired from his old life on the streets.”

“Cats never retire from being a cat. It’s in their nature to protect.” Elena appraised the cat with a raised brow, her eyes stopping to gaze at the unique blue of Soldier’s eyes. “Typically white cats with blue eyes are known for going blind in old age. His eyes are quite pecuilar.”

“The shelter said he didn’t show any signs of regression in his sight.” Gabriel supplied.

Soldier sat intently before the old woman, allowing her to look over him.

“There is something more to this cat.” She cradled his chin, eyes narrowed while a blue gaze stared back. “Perhaps you could take him to the Amari witch? Make sure he is just a cat.”

Soldier pulled away from Elena, jumping down from the table to back up towards the hallway.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “He’s just a cat.”

His _abuela_ shook her head and pointed to the cat, “Next time, we will have a purifying ceremony for the cat.”

His grandmother was superstitious about _everything_ , but he would obey her.

She tended to be right about these things.

“Until then, let me know tomorrow if you are able to get a full night’s rest tonight. You will need as much rest as possible for the autumn equinox coming soon. Your body needs to reconnect with the earth. If not, you know the consequences.”

“I’ll try.” Gabriel promised.

Elena nodded, though she didn’t seem entirely convinced. She had seen her grandson struggle for years now and although he was much better than when he had first come home from his honorable discharge; there was still a long recovery ahead. “I’m worried about you, _mijo_. We all are.”

“I know, _abuela_. Just please let me take it one step at a time.”

Elena frowned, skeptical. “You know the repercussions of avoiding who you truly are.” She tapped at his chest, above his heart. “If you do not change at the autumn moon, I am contacting the shaman _myself_.”  

Gabriel didn’t have a reply, lips curled into a defeated, frustrated frown.

“Now then.” Elena nodded over to the stove. “I believe you promised me fresh croissants for breakfast, _mijito_.”

The younger man turned to pull the fresh bread out from the night before while Soldier watched from a distance.

Elena glanced back to the cat, eyes narrowing.

With attention on him, the cat turned and hurried away to the safety of the bedroom.

*

*

That night Jack sat vigil over Gabriel, the distant smell of sage still hanging around the home and clinging to Jack’s keen nose. His owner in question went to bed late after staying up working on his Halloween costume. He had worked for most of the evening, pausing to come and feed Jack until his shift was finally over at 10:30. From there, he worked in his craft room until close to 1am.

It was no wonder the man had such bags under his eyes.

Jack now lay above Gabriel’s head on the pillow, body almost a crescent white halo above the human’s darker head.

The feline kept his senses alert for the wraith with the murderous crimson eyes, but the night remained quiet and Gabriel slept soundly, his pulse a steady, strong beat.

Jack thought of Elena’s words to her grandson and the old woman’s observant senses. He worried about Gabriel, who was apparently not a mere human as he thought. He also worried about this Amari witch and shaman Elena mentioned.

Witches weren’t exactly his favorite for obvious reasons.

He tried to conjure up an image of the witch who had cursed him into this purgatory, but his mind came up fuzzy with loss.

He rested his head back beside Gabriel’s.

For now, he could at least try and help the human who showed him such gentleness and gave him a quiet home to live in.

He could protect him from that thing for the duration of his stay.

However, when winter solstice grew near, he knew he needed to leave again.

The clock was ticking until the dark cloud that hung over his fortune would plague Gabriel as well. The man seemed to have enough heartache and struggle.

He didn’t deserve more bad luck.

*

Jack noticed Gabriel had been fidgety since the moment the human woke up in a dazed sweat, his forehead creased in worry lines. He had carefully slid himself out of bed, leaving the feline still cuddled on the pillows, watching him intently.

The wraith did not visit again the night before, giving Jack a sense of ease that the elderly woman had cleansed the home of the dark entity. He stretched and jumped down from the bed, brushing his side against the human’s leg. He purposely allowed his tail to push against the human’s skin, trying to offer some comfort.

“Hm? You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Gabriel sighed, rubbing at his eyes blearily. He toed on his slippers and moved out into the kitchen. Jack meowed after him, his stomach gurgling.

Gabriel had set the food out and immediately retreated to shower. It didn’t go unnoticed how the human’s energy had seemed to change overnight.

Jack knew it would be a full moon. He could feel the same beck and call as many other supernatural creatures, but with a lowered level. It wouldn’t be until the winter solstice that his full energy would reach its peak.

He watched while Gabriel trudged around the apartment, getting dressed and looking presentable when it was clear that all he wanted to do was stay in bed all day.

The human pat Jack fondly on the head, rubbing at his cheeks with his big thumb until crouching the rest of the way to kiss at the top of the cat’s head. Jack rewarded the affectionate gesture with a small sandpaper lick to the man’s nose.

“Keep out of trouble.” He went to the back doors that lead into a staircase. Jack watched him curiously, wondering when he would be able to join him downstairs.

The door locked behind the older man.

*

*

A full moon was on the rise.

Gabriel could always sense the shift in nature when the glow of the moon leant its power to all of the supernatural forces present in his environment. His family was intimately tied to those rhythms in nature, and although Gabriel was experiencing a block to his powers, the lunar shift buzzed through his veins.

He worked for most of the day, mind somewhat distracted while he thought of the preparations that needed to be made for Jesse, as well as his grandmother’s words of warning.

His condition wasn’t improving and he worried about contacting the local shaman to guide him to his true self once more. It would be a painful process that could stir unsteady thoughts and painful memories to the surface. He knew he had been making progress in recovery, but facing his fears and the reality of what his condition had created scared him.

He didn’t want to be a coward, but the possibility of being trapped in one form or another tied his stomach into fearful knots. 

“You okay?”

There was a gentle prod to Gabriel’s shoulder. He glanced to the right to find Lena looking to him with clear worry etched on her elven brows.

“If you’re not feeling well, you should go rest. Genji and I are more than capable of holding down the shop. We close early anyways, so it really wouldn’t be any trouble.”

Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off his slight pounding headache. “I thought I was the boss here?”

Lena chuckled nervously, “We’re just concerned, is all. Elena said you were having some difficulties.”

“Of course she did….” The older man grumbled in slight annoyance. It was just like his grandmother to inform his employees that he needed some help. He knew it came from a place of concern and that he could trust Lena and Genji, but it still bothered him. He was insecure about his situation and for it to come up in the sacredness of his coffee shop felt like betrayal.

Or perhaps the irritation was more linked to the moon’s effect on him?

“We’re all feeling the full moon coming tonight. I woke up with my ears impossibly ringing.” The shorter brown-haired elf sighed, rubbing at the pointed tips of her ears.

“I woke up with a god awful backache.” Genji added while he finished wiping down the counter and cleaning off the machines in preparation for the next customers. “I’m going to have to float in the nearby lake tonight to soothe the ache. You’re both welcome to join me.”

Gabriel glanced over at the cheeky green-haired man and snorted. “Thanks, but I already have plans that don’t involve me getting wet.”

“I promised to go with Em down to the town square for some street food tonight. Want us to pick up any treats for you?”

Gabriel considered the offer. “Pick up some of that sweet and spicy popcorn again? And maybe some pickled garlic gloves if they have it.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Lena promised cheerfully, saluting him.

“If they have the dried veggies with chili flakes or wasabi again, grab those too.” The green haired man added.

Lena giggled, flashing a thumbs up while she walked over to help a new customer with her usual jovial charm and accent.

Genji kept his voice low, only for his boss to hear. “You’re going over to help Jesse, yeah?”

Gabriel nodded, thin lipped.

“Good…I am worried about him.” Genji confessed, his eyes cast down to where his hands were working effortlessly on the new drink order. “My brother has asked about him.”

“Their date went well, didn’t it?”

“Yes.” Genji smirked fondly. “Hanzo usually isn’t one to feel so comfortable on a first date, but he liked Jesse very much.”

It was a relief to hear that Jesse’s date had gone well on both sides. The scruffy haired man had replayed his date to Gabriel the day before when they were working together. Jesse was worried about not having kissed Hanzo at the end of the date; a detail in which Gabe thought was wise, given Hanzo didn’t seem as open as his colorfully haired brother.

Gabriel was glad that Hanzo seemed to feel the same way for Jesse. With everything Jesse McCree had been through in life, he deserved to experience all the happiness the world could give to him.

“I hope those two work out. Jesse is smitten.” Gabriel confirmed.

“We will have to encourage them both in the right direction.” Genji grinned conspiratorially. “And whenever you feel ready to date again, I have a few friends who’re interested in you.”

The shop owner rolled his eyes, heart feeling a little lighter after speaking to his friends. “We’ll see about that.”

“That wasn’t a no~” Genji sing-songed, all teeth to his smile while he set out the customer’s order.

Gabriel couldn’t help but to laugh.

He set about wiping down a few tables and tidying up the café, thoughts of the full moon still plaguing the back of his mind with the persistent low-grade headache.

He was looking forward to tomorrow when the moon’s power would decrease and he could function more normally.

All he wanted was to ignore the instinctual urges his body tugged and twisted him towards, even though access to his abilities had been muddied for a long time now.

The old veteran looked around the area and turned his thoughts to introducing Soldier to the downstairs café. His new companion had adjusted well to the upstairs private residence; laid around the home like a king in a throne room.

Gabriel and Jesse were almost done with sanding and staining the cat perches they had made in Jesse’s work space to match the furniture of the café.

Soon, Soldier would be the newest employee to lay about the perches and steal the affection of the customers with his lazy charm and easygoing attitude. Gabriel had even made a small black, red, and white bandana with a cross stitched owl on it for Soldier to wear as his ‘uniform’ when he was on duty.

It was something to look forward to.

*

Jesse was doing about as well as a werewolf could when knowing in a few hours he would lose almost all sense of himself thanks to the natural forces that be.

He was in the garage working on the cat pedestals for Gabriel, nursing a cold apple cider when the older man walked up the driveway quietly. He would’ve snuck up and scared Jesse if Boomer hadn’t spotted him first.

Boomer barked, wagging his tail excitedly while he bounded down the gravel to greet his second favorite human in a ball of over energized fluff.

“Could’ve parked in the driveway, y’know.” Jesse offered by means of hello. He stood tall and crossed his arms, watching his dog crawl into Gabriel’s lap and lick his face relentlessly. The man’s beanie was slowly beginning to come off, but Gabriel had a big smile on his face.

“Maybe when you actually pave it, I will.” Gabe snorted. He stood up again and turned to pick up the duffle bag and a large reusable bag behind him that Boomer was excitedly sniffing at. “How’re you feeling?”

The tense energy in Jesse’s eyes softened momentarily. “Feel like shit. The hunger is slowly starting up.”

“Good thing I went to the butcher then.” The older man opened up the large freezer and pulled out a full cut off cow’s leg from his oversized bag. He placed the wrapped meat into the freezer. “You’re an expensive one to take care of. Why did I promise mom and dad to take care of you?”

“Because I’m the only brother you have, _jefe_.”

“Pft, just because my mom had a heart for strays.” Gabriel opened up his own bottle of sparkling apple cider. “Did _abuela_ talk to you?”

“About you not being able to change? Yeah, she came by.” Jesse shrugged. “You should really enlist the help of the shaman. It’s not wise for you to wait until after the autumn moon.”

“Now she’s poisoning your head, too.”

“I know you hate going through those rituals, but waiting this long to shift can’t be good for you. When’s the last time you successfully shifted?”

Gabriel took two long gulps of the cold beverage, wanting to avoid the topic. Not for the first time today did he wish that his drink would haze up his thoughts and emotions the way alcohol used to.

“It’s been almost six months.” He replied sourly. “The last time was too painful to change all of the way. The local shaman in LA had to stop my transformation.”

Jesse winced. “I remember your ma telling me. Hurts like all hell for a wolf; I can only imagine for your type what it must’ve been like.”

Gabriel glanced out into the wooded forest surrounding them. Jesse lived on the outskirts of town where the trees were heavy and the forest could speak to them. It made him homesick.

For a moment, a sense of longing pulled his heartstrings to the branches high up into the sky. It was dusk, and he could hear the faint callings of the wild nestled in the greenery, far from his view.

He glanced to the slowly setting sun.

“Enough of the depressing shit. Let’s focus on you for now. Need to get you situated before you turn into your hairy, slobbery self.” Gabriel moved back into the garage, slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder.

“Wish they would just put me out all the way for this.” Jesse griped. “With no pack to run in or an alpha to keep me straight, this is hell.”

“Then maybe you should consider contacting the local pack just east of us. Wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“Nah, not for a while. Need to do some research. I have Fareeha scoping them out for me to make sure they aren’t bad apples like-“ He bit at his lips, the word still hard to pull from his tongue even after all of these years. “-like last time. Don’t want to trade one evil for another.”

Jesse glanced down to his burned left arm where an old tattoo was nearly singed off with the ugly, mottled flesh.

_Deadlock._

Gabriel remembered when Jesse had been taken into his family home by his mother, Cassandra Reyes. Jesse had been a scrawny pup back then; no older than 15 with a mouth like a sailor and a rotten attitude. Gabriel was used to his parents bringing home young supernatural strays to foster and take care of until permanent homes or distant, safe relatives could be located.

Gabriel was a good ten years older and in the army, working Special Forces. He happened to be on leave when the delinquent werewolf was brought into the Reyes home. He remembered the shouting, the angry defiance, and the hate and rage that burned in those young eyes.

Jesse had been the most difficult case the Reyes family had ever taken on.

The were-pup had grown up in the violent, drug-running wolf pack known as Deadlock in the hot New Mexico desert. After an intense, years long investigation, they were busted by the feds and most of the members were arrested or detained. Jesse happened to help the investigation, wanting an out of his situation when undercover cops began to infiltrate the group.

Due to his cooperation, Jesse had been marked a traitor and cast out of the Deadlock gang.

It marked the young werewolf as a lone wolf; made other wolf packs weary of him.

At the time, it had been safest to keep him in the Reyes home where he could be protected and his injuries healed.

After a year when no family could be located and it seemed as if the minor would become a ward of the state, Alejandro and Cassandra Reyes stepped forward and were granted legal guardianship of Jesse.

Jesse was Gabriel’s only brother.

If not by blood, then in spirit and circumstance.

Jesse led his older mentor into the backyard where a smaller building was set up in the back corner of the lot, close to the woods. They entered into the heavy steel door to the ‘changing chambers’ as Jesse liked to call it.

The building was about as large as the garage with a skylight at the top, a few bare necessities, a chair, and some chains in the cemented ground.

Without a pack to run with or keep him in line, Jesse was a danger to himself and to others. It was law that a lone werewolf needed to be chained up or turned to the authorities during the course of their transformation, less they risk being shot on sight. There were safe havens in certain territories for werewolves to roam free, but those territories were already claimed by established wolf packs. To run in another pack’s territory would be seen as a challenge and certain death.

Jesse lived a grim reality when it came to his werewolf self, but it was law.

One of the few people that could look after him through his transformation was Gabriel, who was the closest family the werewolf had. Sometimes Elena would help bear the burden of Jesse’s fate, but the duty often fell to the older man who could handle Jesse’s strength and anger when he turned.

Boomer pranced around their feet nervously, already sensing what was to come.

Jesse downed a full jug of water before he began to take off his plaid shirt and fold it. He handed his hat over to Gabriel. “Mind taking care of this?”

Gabe snorted, “Sure, kid.”

The young wolf finished undressing down to his boxer shorts. He bristled at the cool breeze that shifted through the barred windows while Gabriel began to assist him in getting the cuffs on.

“You want the same dose as last time?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to be completely out of it.”

With the last lock in place, Gabriel made sure his own station sitting vigil with the werewolf was positioned correctly. It was an old reclining chair with a tranquilizer dart at the table, and a shotgun with silver bullets behind him. He had to keep Jesse safe just as much as himself. A full-grown werewolf pelt caught a good size fortune on the black market, and Gabriel would be damned if he ever saw his adoptive brother turned into a trophy.

Boomer trotted over to his owner, licking the man’s bearded face. The dog was safe with Jesse, whether the man was in human or werewolf form. The canine brought out the softer side in his owner, quelling some of the normal apprehensions that rattled in with a full moon.

The pair of them talked amicably about much of nothing. Even though Gabriel wanted to bring up Jesse’s date with Hanzo, the atmosphere was all wrong to speak of love and relationships.

By the time the sun set, Gabriel was sure to administer the first dose of mild sedatives to Jesse. It was a small quantity to keep the wolf mostly to his senses, but soothe the burning of his transformation and the instincts and hunger that would follow.

When the first sheds of moonlight crept through the skylight, the transformation begun.

It would be a sleepless night for Gabriel, who would guard his family member with unwavering focus, no matter how tired or drained he felt.

He thought of the town square markets where other supernatural beings and humans alike would enjoy the pleasure of the full moon while eating, dancing, and singing. They would enjoy the festivities, excited by the life-giving power the moon casted in its glow. All the while others like Jesse suffered in the quiet of the outskirts.

He thought of his grandmother, who had surely gone through her own transformation and roamed the skies; free and empowered.

Through Jesse’s groans of pain and the ripping of his flesh giving way to fur and strengthened sinew and bone, Gabriel heard in the distance the soft laugh-resembling coo of a [barred owl](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds) in the forest.

His pulse quickened, eyes looking forlornly into the darkness where the owl’s laugh echoed to him.

His gut twisted with yearning; his heart ached.

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you figured out what Gabriel is? ;)  
> If you love the theme of a cat as a protector for its human, please read Neil Gaiman’s “The Price.” It is an amazing short story that my friend and a reader suggested to me. :D Please go check it out!  
> Also...THANK YOU for all of the wonderful comments and kudos!! ;__; You all inspire me. <3
> 
> Come say hello~  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.  
> -Stephen King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some disturbing imagery regarding young Gabriel in a flashback.

**3.**

Gabriel gets no sleep the night of the full moon.

He sits vigil with Jesse, guarding the young werewolf who snarls and growls in frustration while he endures his transformation. The sedatives the wolf was given help to calm the more violent urges that come along when the canine realizes he’s chained to the ground and unable to roam free under the night sky. He growls and snarls while he curls up into a ball, his body too lethargic to do more while the drugs impede his fine-tuned senses. Without the sedatives, Jesse could hurt himself and others in his panic to get free.

The veteran always feels a sad melancholy wash over him whenever he thinks of the reality of Jesse’s situation.

A chained wolf, unable to run free in the open lest he be shot by a scared human, hunted for his pelt, or attacked by a local pack.

Jesse’s mentality isn’t entirely there when he is like this, but he remembers scent and doesn’t harm Gabriel when the older man eventually brings him in the cow leg he had picked up from the local butcher.  He sets it before the wolf carefully, keeping in mind his body language and showing no fear before the lychen. Gabriel is all business and grace; a dominant presence even though he is smaller than the young wolf.

Jesse sniffs and licks at the cow leg first, eyes still on the older man while he backs away to his corner of the room.

A respectful distance away.

Only when Gabriel has given them a few ample feet of space does Jesse begin to eat.

Gnawing on the meat helps to satisfy some of Jesse’s lychen appetite and diminish his growing annoyance to get free. Gabriel watches him from the old chair, sipping now on a cup of hot coffee to nurse the pounding headache that beckons him to sleep or attempt to change.

He’s lost count of the number of times he’s done this for Jesse.

Boomer jumped up onto the plush chair to sit in Gabriel’s lap, providing a blanket of warmth and comfort. The veteran ran his fingers through the dog’s bountiful hair while it whimpered in concern for its owner.

“I know. I feel the same way, bud.” Gabe sighs in agreement.

Jesse is much larger in his werewolf form with dark brown fur covering the mass of his body. Although he is crouched down, limited by the heavy chains that anchor him to the safe house concrete floor, he easily stands above 7 feet when raised on his back legs. He is thickly corded with powerful muscle and long, sharp claws that could tear open the skin with a single swipe.

His teeth are sharp and powerful where they break the bone on the cow leg effortlessly. Gabe shudders to think of the Deadlock pack Jesse had ran with the years before he was taken in by protective services. The pack had been known for their illicit activity that included hunting other supernatural beings- mostly peaceful supernaturals and humans alike for blood sport as a rite of passage and rank.

Gabriel knows Jesse had to complete the same rite of passage many years ago; a fact to which haunted Jesse to this day.

The first time Gabriel had ever seen Jesse change there had been trembling fear in the wolf’s eyes that he would hurt his new family.

However, the Reyes family was made of stronger blood.

*

After Jesse had mostly finished the cow leg, he laid down to rest.  Gabriel approached him, holding the second dose of mild sedatives. The wolf only growled half-heartedly at his family member, registering Gabriel’s scent and lowering his head, ears flat and nervous.

“I know, Jesse. The night is almost over.” The older man coaxed the werewolf to calm down, approaching him cautiously. Werewolves could be unpredictable at times and Gabriel’s experience with other supernaturally inclined beings never left him without his careful wits.

With a hand cautiously brushing at Jesse’s neck, Gabe injected the next dose of sedatives and moved back quickly before the pinch of the syringe could give Jesse reason to lash out. It was over within seconds and the older man had already stepped back towards his seat while Jesse rubbed at his shoulder in irritation, snarling with a death glare towards the man.

“Few more hours.” Gabriel sighed, hunkering back down on his seat. He stretched, his neck cracking while his bones continued to ache.

He couldn’t shift tonight, not with his responsibility for Jesse on the line.

There was that and the fact that he wasn’t even sure if he could handle shifting fully and facing what hurdles lay before him.

Accessing the other part of his being felt like oceans away from his reach.

He wanted to ignore the desire to shift, remembering what had happened overseas and what he had gone through. Bitter thoughts filled his head and he closed his eyes to banish them, following the advice his counselor had set for him.

_Breathe in._

_Let it go._

_Live in the now._

He won’t think of the desert sun and the hot blood in the sand.

The blood on his hands.

He is thousands of miles away from that place; years away from the torment.

*

When the sun began to rise and the moon died down, Jesse slowly changed back into his human form. His bones cracked, form reshaping into his human self while he groaned and whined from the pain his body endured to right itself.

His older mentor was right there with him, speaking words of praise and comfort while the werewolf cried out in pain.

When it was over, Gabriel unlocked the chains from Jesse’s wrists and ankles gently while Boomer licked at his owner’s face in concern to rouse him into consciousness.

“Is it over?” the lychen asked, throat raw and sore from the transformation.

“You did well.” Gabriel reassured him. He pulled a warm blanket over Jesse’s naked body and rested his hand on his shoulders, kneeling down. “Ready to go inside?”

Jesse nodded tiredly, shifting up onto his knees while Gabriel assisted him in standing up. His legs were wobbly from the change, exhaustion deep and settled in his bones. He walked like a fawn on new legs while they exited the safe house towards Jesse’s one story home. Gabe offered to carry him, but Jesse wouldn’t agree to it; too proud and stubborn.

Boomer was right beside them, eyes focused on his owner with unwavering loyalty.

Jesse let one of his hands fall loose, allowing the dog to lick his palm and push his head up into the hand for comforting head pats. “I’m all good, I promise, Boom.”

When they made it inside the home, Gabriel instructed Jesse to sit on the toilet while he started the bath. Hot water began to fill the tub while the older man added some bath scents and herbs to help with healing.

“All right, get your hairy ass in.” he instructed when the tub was nearly full.

Jesse snorted, leaving the blanket on the counter before his mentor helped him into the tub, making sure he wouldn’t slip.

The hot water was a welcome remedy for his aching body.

“You think you can finish the bath on your own or do you need me to help you?” Gabriel asked, setting fresh towels on the toilet seat. He handed Jesse an opened bottle of water to drink.

The wolf chugged half of the water down before replying. “Think I’ll manage on my own just fine. My pride can only handle so much.”

Despite how exhausted Gabriel felt, a smile still quirked his lips. “Just don’t fall asleep in the tub again. _Abuela_ will be coming by later and she’ll kick your ass if you’re not in bed resting.”

Jesse shuddered, “Yeah, yeah, I hear you, boss. Go home and get some sleep. You look worse than I do, and I’m sure your cat is anxious to see you.”

The older man bent down to pet Boomer’s head, and then reached over to give Jesse a rough head pat for good measure, messing his already damp hair.

“Don’t forget to text Genji’s brother. He likes you.” Gabriel reminded.

Jesse chuckled, breathing out a long sigh. “Will do.”

*

*

Gabriel didn’t get home until close to 6 in the morning.

The cursed human was displeased with having to spend a night in by himself, wondering if Gabriel was okay out on the night of a full moon. He knew the human could handle himself, but it was the power of other supernatural forces that lurked in the night that made him apprehensive.

Jack perched himself at the bay windows for most of the evening, enjoying the wide, open view of the night and all of the critters who stirred in the darkness. His feline instincts called him to become more aware of his new home and the neighborhood surrounding it, but it was also in Jack’s nature to case the area.

It was something he was used to doing, all the way back to his hunting days. A brief flash of an old pickup truck and his human form riding in the passenger seat, casing out an old field with a shotgun ready in his hands flashed before his eyes.

The memory was gone as quick as it came.

If he were an outdoor cat, he would be long gone from this small town.

His hunter instincts, although marred by the curse, helped him to categorize the types of supernaturals in the area and whether they were peaceful or dangerous. Most that he had seen were of the more friendly variety, but Jack still had a difficult time trusting anyone.

When he heard the first tell-tale footsteps of Gabriel’s shoes against the stairs, he ran to the door and began to meow incessantly, voicing both his displeasure with Gabe for leaving and his relief that he was home.

Although Gabriel was a strong and perfectly capable human, it was still a point of worry if he’d been gone for a long amount of time.

When the human opened the door, Jack had half a mind to bolt out and escape, but he knew he still had plenty of time in his home before he needed to get away near the winter solstice.

Besides, he liked Gabe.

The owner was careful not to let the small cat slip out the door in his rush to greet him.

“Guess you didn’t like having the house to yourself.” Gabriel noted, taking off his shoes by the front door while Jack meowed crazily. He immediately bent down to pet him, “Ready for breakfast?”

Jack immediately bolted to the kitchen, leading the coffee shop owner to the cupboard where he knew the cat food was kept in a large, sealed container.

“Smarty pants.” Gabriel chuckled.

The human set about getting Jack his wet cat food mixed with dry food. While he prepared the meal, it didn’t escape the hunter’s notice how much the human smelled like werewolf.

 _Jesse_.

To his relief, there was no smell of injury or blood on Gabriel.

With the food presented before him, Gabriel gave one last head rub before he made his way to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. The coffee shop still needed to open, and time waited for no one.

*

*

That night, Gabriel finds himself in his nightmares once more.

He isn’t sure what triggers it, but he guesses it is the mocking cry of the barred owl the night before, coupled with exhaustion…

He visits the place often in his dreams.

Always the same; always a reminder of the thing he has become.

His mother always used to say he had it in him since birth, but Gabriel knows his power is fueled by darker forces within his family’s bloodline. His grandmother used to tell stories of his ancestors who possessed the power necessary to call themselves _lechuza_. They used to be old stories of haunting and terror; how his cursed ancestors had tormented their enemies and laid waste to the lives of those who intended to do them harm.

From the moment he learned what the word meant, an odd stirring began to tighten in his gut.

It whispered to him in the nights softly.

_I know. I know. I know._

He is eight years old without a care in the world when his life truly changes.

The wind smells of old leaves and the cold ozone of a fresh autumn rain. His grandparents insisted he take a nap or watch a movie while they go about their chores in the home. His grandfather was fixing a light in the upstairs bedroom, while his grandmother began to cook dinner with his two older sisters.

He slipped past the notice of his relatives, his desire to embark on something more adventurous winning over the voice of reason that tells him he should obey his elders.

_What do they know?_

Outside there is thunder in the distance, warning him of the dangers should he stay outside.

Gabriel Reyes-Solis ignores the ominous forewarning and rushes to the barn across the yard. An excited triumph reverberates in his skin now that his bossy older sisters can’t be there to hold him back, or the adults to chide him for running off.

He knows he will be in trouble later if his grandparents catch him goofing off in the barn, but he cares little when the prospect of fun is on the line.

The barn is quiet save for the familiar creaks and moans of the wood as the wind outside picks up and pummels against the old building. His grandfather had told him once that the building was older than even his mother- having been built by his great grandfather decades ago when their family relocated north.

The milking cattle are still out at pasture, and the dogs are in the house. The only animal that passes by the young boy judgingly is a few old cats. They pay him little mind from their spots on some hay barrels, only peering at him with the sheen of a glow to their eyes while the Reyes grandson moves towards the back where a ladder is propped up.  

Gabriel wavers for a moment when he looks at the metal ladder and how high up it goes; seemingly endless into the dark depths of the hayloft.

A voice encourages him on.

_I know you._

_I know you._

_I’ve been waiting for you._

Gabriel knows he should turn back, but he goes.

He is blind and unaware of the worry and fright going on in the Solis family home when his grandparents realize he is missing.

His oldest sister is out in the front yard, calling his name while rain begins to pelt in heavy, angry drops from the sky. The water sounds against the old roof, thundering from the heavens while he climbs up the ladder and into the hayloft. His heart beats quickly in his chest; an invisible string tugging on the other end and beckoning him forth.

_Gabriel._

He reaches the hayloft, unsure now when he looks in the dim darkness. The old rope swing, his original objective, hangs loosely in the corner. His grandfather had told him he couldn’t swing from it on his own; he was too young, could break an arm from a bad fall.

He walks towards the rope swing, brows furrowed when he catches another sound in the loft with him.

Gabriel hears rattling within the corner; a scratching sound against the old wood that reverberates in the loft. Curiosity takes control, pulling him into the sound like a trance.

The sound comes from the outline of a small owl, scratching into the surface of the wood with its beak. A dead rat is splayed before it; disemboweled with its blood smeared on the floor in a gruesome display.

_I know you._

_I’ve always known you._

_You are mine._

Gabriel’s heartbeat hammers in his head while a headache begins to take shape, weakening him.

He takes a step back, trying to retreat, but the bird turns to look at him with deep soulless eyes and lets out an [ear-piercing screech](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl/sounds).

It’s eyes are red and angry while its body gains energy and grows. The small barn owl grows larger than the boy, its face shifting into that of a demon-like woman while it screeches and leaves Gabriel ensnared. It is murderous and angry while its voice becomes all consuming. The white of its wings glide it into a fell swoop, pinning the boy to the ground.

Black blood began to seep from its mouth, dripping into his face while Gabriel cried for help and thrashed to get away. He choked on the black substance, thrashign desperately to get free and breathe.

Slowly the bird began to disintegrate, its remnants seeping into the child’s skin with each pain-filled heartbeat.

Gabriel’s bones began to crack while his head filled with panic.

_It’s happening._

His arms and legs grew heavy and lethargic; skin burning off and giving way to white bloodied feathers.

His silentcries for help began to morph into the high screeches of the barn owl. His body was no longer his own as he began to shift into the mark of foreboding and terror in his family.

By the time his grandparents find him, it is too late.

Gabriel lay on the hayloft ground, screeching in terror while his human clothes lay in crumpled heaps around him. Frightened and alone in pain, he nearly flees when the face of his _abuelo_ comes up from the ladder to inspect the loud shrieking.

 _Abuela_ isn’t far behind him, worry and fear wide in her eyes when she rushes to approach the owl. His grandfather stops her with one arm, keeping his wife back while his lamp illuminated the new form his only grandson had taken.

_Lechuza._

“ _Oh Gabriel_ …” Elena Solis feels hot tears well into her eyes, as thick and heavy as the rain overhead.

His grandfather approaches him carefully, a look of stern understanding on his weathered face. Gabriel shies away from the touch and awkwardly flies up to a higher hay barrel, shaking in fear when he stumbles on new legs.

“We need to take him to the shaman.” His grandmother speaks up. “Perhaps they can reverse it?”

“He has already been claimed.” Grandfather frowns. “I told you to never come out here alone, Gabriel. Now look what you’ve done-!”

Gabriel watches in confusion and shame.

His family was shifters; able to trade their human form for those of winged predators to fly high in the sky on a full moon night. He wasn’t supposed to have his first shift until he was 16, when the mark of adulthood began to take hold.

Eight was just too young to bear this burden.

That night, the shaman came to try and reverse the spell. However, it was as his _abuelo_ had said…they were too late. He had been claimed by the one bird of prey that brought shame and worry to his family.

Shame for what the barn owl had represented for so many bloodlines; a cursed witch or warlock that used its powers for evil and terrorized humans.

_And that’s what I would become, isn’t it?_

Gabriel remained in his barn owl form for days until the bond was complete and the forces within him released him to his human flesh. Once human, there were numerous scratches and bruises on his skin from where the spirit of the _lechuza_ had attacked him.

Days later, grandfather destroyed the hayloft and burned all of the barrels of hay and wood that had touched his grandson and the supposed spirit of the _lechuza_ that had dwelled in there with him and lured him above.

While he watched the flames destroy the traces of evidence, he wondered if grandfather would throw him into those flames as well.

The old man no longer looked to his grandson the same way he had before.

*

The smell of smoke woke Gabriel from his sleep.

Soldier was purring loudly against his chest, his forehead pressed against Gabriel’s chin like a warm scarf. Although Gabriel was sweating profusely, he was cold and shivering in his bed.

Cool air seeped into his room where the bay window was open, the dark curtains moving with the air flow.

“Fuck.” Gabriel groaned. He maneuvered carefully, setting Soldier down next to him while he threw off his wet pillow and pulled over one of the spares. He pulled the blanket up over him, lying back down with a frustrated sigh.

Soldier was back on his chest, kneading at his chest in comforting pressure.

“Thanks, little man.” Gabriel murmured, caressing his hand down the white cat’s flank. “Just a bad dream.”

It was a dream he didn’t have often, but its reminder left an unwelcome melancholy through his bones.

Being a shifter had never been easy for Gabriel. He envied his older sisters, who were able to use their powers freely and without worry of harm towards others. One, a white snowy owl, and the other a long-eared owl.  

Then there was Gabriel, skirting on the edge of being a _lechuza_ with his demon-like eyes and terror-raising screech whenever he shifted into his barn owl form. People feared him and saw him as a bad omen of death.

And death was what Gabriel had been good at. All those years ago in special ops, his form had leant to the success of countless mission when he had embraced his form and shed blood.

Gabriel turned away from those bitter memories.

“Think I’ll make some caramel apple muffins tomorrow.” He drawls, distracting himself from his own head. “Might even have time for some different flavored empanadas if we get up early enough.”

Soldier listened to him ramble on about what he was going to bake in the morning.

 Little by little, it calmed Gabriel’s nerves enough for him to fall back to sleep.

His hand lay rested on Soldier’s back, cupping the warm fur gently and holding him close.

*

*

The wraith watched carefully from the foot of the bed, its dark red eyes a vacant stare while it looks through Jack to the shifter resting on the bed.

Jack remains curled at his owner’s chest, purring loudly both to keep his human content and at rest, and out of fear for what the entity wants.

“ _You can’t have him_.” Its voice seems to float and gather above the room, nestling itself in the creaks of the floorboards and the paint of the walls. Staining its warning throughout the home now that its powers were slowly returning.

Jack merely observes the creature with disdain and slight puzzlement. He tries to piece together what the thing exactly is and _why_ it has returned.

Why now, after days of inactivity?

The cursed human watches the wraith carefully until it slowly disappears with the rising of the sun.

Jack gets little sleep, but it is for a good cause: to protect.

*

*

Two days later. Gabriel and Jesse finish the cat posts and install them on the main floor. Gabriel has been anxious to get the project finished ever since he adopted and brought Soldier home. The cat proved to be a great companion for the old veteran, and the prospect of having the cat’s calming presence in the shop anchors a feeling of relief in his gut.

With a concealed litter box installed in the backroom and a promise of a ‘doggie door’ to the apartment in the works, Gabriel felt it was time to introduce his new and smallest employee to the coffee shop.

They went about their usual morning routine, although Gabriel had set his alarm earlier in order to bring Soldier in before the shop opened at 9:00am.

It was Sunday, a late start day, and Gabriel smiled widely to himself while he shook a small container of treats. Soldier came rushing to him, meowing loudly and trying to investigate what his owner had in his hand.

“All right, little man. Today is your training day.” He pulled out a treat and handed it to the cat, who gobbled it up enthusiastically.

Gabriel continued, “If you do well, you get to hang out with me all day and get lots of love from our guests. If not, that’s okay. You still get to live like a king up here.”

The older man unlocked the door that connected to the stairs that led to the downstairs coffee shop. He beckoned Soldier to come down with him, the owner and his cat descending the stairs carefully one by one. Soldier didn’t seem the least bit apprehensive about a new space.

Gabriel picked up the white feline and held him in his arms while he unlocked the last door. Upon opening it, the smell of coffee beans and spice drifted in the air. There was no doubt his _abuela_ was already there, probably working in the back with Jesse and Genji on the bread and pastries they planned out for the day.

“Before I let you loose…” Gabriel set Soldier down, steadying him while he pulled out a small piece of cloth. It was a black folded collar with a white owl symbol on the back, while the front had a small red bowtie. He attached it around Soldier’s neck in a comfortable fit, securing it with the soft Velcro backing. “Your uniform.”

The cat did look handsome with his little collar and bowtie. Gabriel smiled widely and snapped a photo, cooing over how great his companion looked. He posted it on the coffee shop’s Instagram, introducing the new employee.

“You seriously made your cat a costume?” Jesse observed from behind the counter, doing nothing to hide his grin and the hint of a snort. Her didn’t add that Gabriel also had a tendency to talk a lot to his pet.

“A _uniform_.” Gabriel corrected. “People will know he’s not some stray. He’s an official employee.”

“How much is he getting paid, then?”

“More than you if you keep being a smart ass.” The older man retorted. “Go finish the cinnamon rolls.”

Jesse chuckled, shaking his head. “Be sure to put the sign in the window that we have a cat on the premise.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Gabriel waved him off.

Gabriel observed with glee while Soldier moved about the café like he owned the place. He sniffed at the furniture and jumped up onto the cat trees, checking out the vantage point with something akin to a pleased look. His tail was standing high behind him, showing his excitement while he jumped over to a cat post and scratched at the dark chord.

Pleased that the newest employee was settling in and not about to get into any trouble, Gabe went about his business wiping down the tables and preparing for the opening of the shop. Soft reggae music was playing overhead; a favorite of his _abuela’s_ no doubt, while he made sure everything was as perfect as it could be.

He pet soldier on the head where the cat was lounging near the front window on his new cat tree.

“Let’s see how this goes, shall we?”

He flipped the closed sign to open and took his place behind the counter.

Genji was tying his barista apron on, yawning loudly from where he appeared in the backroom. He smelled like the cinnamon rolls they were baking in the back.

“I already have three texts asking about Soldier from my friends who saw him on the store Instagram.” Genji announced, amused. “The costume was a nice touch.”

“ _Uniform_.” Gabriel corrected under his breath. The owl logo on Soldier’s bow tie matched the Reaper’s Bounty logo on their work aprons.

Lena bounced past him to greet the new feline. Soldier wasn’t concerned by her bubbling energy.

“Well aren’t you the sweetest!” Lena gushed while she pet Soldier on the head, smiling wide. She snapped a picture of her new co-worker, grinning ear to ear. “The bowtie is adorable, Gabe.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Jesse agreed. “Looking forward to what you create for him for Halloween, boss.” He teased.

Gabriel rolled his eyes in time for some customers to begin flooding into the shop. There was little talk after that while they took orders and made drinks. A steady supply of warm, fresh pastries were delivered from the back, where Elena was singing softly to herself while she baked with Jesse.

Soldier remained well behaved while guests approached him and took pictures of the adorable feline. Gabriel held his breath when he saw a parent lift their child to pet the cat carefully, but Soldier didn’t seem to mind.

Gabriel couldn’t have been a prouder pet owner when the patrons complimented his well-behaved little feline.

He felt like a proud parents, all smiles when he saw how well his little companion did.

*

Soldier was a popular employee at the café.

He came down with Gabriel every morning and lazed about the cat trees, content and at ease. He went between napping and observing the humans who went by throughout the day. With the little pet door installed on Gabriel’s entrance to his upstairs home, Soldier had the option to escape from the café when it got too busy and loud.

It was a comfort to the café owner to know his cat wasn’t alone and bored upstairs.

On the fifth day of Soldier’s employment, Elena came out from the back during the slow hours to investigate how the cat was doing.

“He’s very calm for a feline, isn’t he?” She observed, eyeing him.

Gabriel glanced up from behind the counter where he was restocking some of the muffins. “He’s old and unbothered by people.” He shrugged.

The cat watched Elena from his perch, his ears shifted up in alert.

“We have that in common.” Elena approached the cat, presenting her hand to him to sniff.

Soldier shifted back, untrusting.

“He is not a normal cat.” Elena declared, not for the first time.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You’re suspicious of all animals because of what we are.”

“He’s not a shifter.” The elderly woman remarked. “We can tell our kind easily. There is something more amiss with him...as if he is not truly a cat. I still think we should consult Ana Amari over the matter.”

At the mention of the witch’s name, Soldier jumped down from his cat tree and skittered away from the old woman. Gabriel watched with a raised brow while his cat snuck away into the backroom where the pet door was, leading to the upstairs home.

“See? He knows what I’m talking about.” Elena put her hands on her hips in triumph.

“Stop harassing my cat.” Gabe frowned, unconvinced. “He doesn’t like you probably because you brought that smelly sage into my house and then tried to poke and prod at him.”

“Cats are not _that_ intuitive.” She defended. “Speaking of, I know you still haven’t shifted.”

Gabriel set about re-aligning the pastry display, eyes cast down and slightly annoyed.

She continued, more gentle in her words. “You can’t keep running away from this, _mijo_. I worry so much about you, and you’ve come so far from your dark times. We are all here to help you make peace with yourself.”

The owner glanced towards the back room, where Jesse and Genji were noticeably absent from the conversation taking place out front.

“Can we talk about this another time?” he asked, frown etched deeply on his face.

“The next rush of customers won’t start until 3:07pm.” Elena tapped the side of her head, her predictions never failing her. “We have time.”

The younger man knew he couldn’t ignore his grandmother, though he really wanted to avoid the conversation she was leading towards. He felt cornered into it when really all he wanted was to focus on work.

“If you do not make peace with yourself and who you are as a shifter, you could lose sight of your powers. I know you shifted young when you imprinted on that barn owl-“

“That _lechuza_ , you mean.” Gabriel spat. “You’re the only one in the family who says barn owl, besides mom. Even _abuelo_ had a hard time reconciling what I am before he died.”

She side-stepped the unpleasant recollections. “I know you made poor choices in how you used your powers throughout your military career, but those demons have been laid to rest, Gabi. I am proud of how far you have come, and I want you to be able to shift freely and fly with us again at the full moon.”

Gabriel glanced at the clock, wishing the hands would move faster to get him out of this conversation.

She continued. “You’ve been doing so well with your new store and your sobriety. All you need now is to connect with your spirit and lay to rest this guilt you harbor. We will be with you every step of the way, I promise.”

“I’m not seeing the shaman.” Gabriel stated, turning away from his grandmother. He knew where this conversation was going.

Jesse was standing in the doorway to the back kitchen, appearing just as concerned.

“C’mon Gabe, we’re just looking out for you.” He tried to console.

It irritated Gabriel even more that Jesse was eavesdropping and somehow conspiring with their grandmother about him. 

The older man sneered. “By cornering me in my own store? What exactly have you and _abuela_ been talking about back there? Sounds like she hasn’t just been teaching you how to make some of her recipes.”

The young wolf only looked slightly embarrassed. “The harvest moon is coming soon. You can’t keep justifying your avoidance to shifting. We already contacted the shaman and they agreed to come down this weekend to check you over.”

Beyond infuriated that his grandmother and Jesse had been somehow conspiring behind his back, he took off his apron and set it on the counter, taking a deep breath to calm the outburst that wanted to crawl its way out. “I’m going to take a 15 minute break. We’ll save this conversation for another time.”

Jesse sighed, cursing under his breath while Gabriel stalked away angrily.

Elena didn’t look shaken or perturbed by the behavior.

“He will only grow worse the longer he avoids his demons.” She explained, listening to his footsteps as he went up the backroom to his home upstairs. “He’s been avoiding his shifter instincts ever since he almost had a minor relapse.”

“Should I tell the shaman not to come, then?” the brown haired man questioned.

“No, tell them to come. They need to see what they are dealing with.”

“I still think we should let him go at his own pace.”

“He has stalled long enough.” Elena disagreed. “His mother and I decided that it is time we take matters in our own hands and force him to confront his troubles. If we do not, he will find himself in worse trouble come the harvest moon.”

Jesse let out a long winded sigh, “He’s going to be upset with you both.”

“Let him. I’m his grandmother- I know what’s best for him.” She stated. Her kind brown eyes softened, “And I worry for him.”

“Don’t we all.” The wolf muttered.

At 3:07 there was an influx of customers.

They went back to work.

*

*

Jack always felt unnerved when Elena looked to him the way she did; knowing and appraising.

The threat of the Amari witch being hung over his head made him incredibly uncomfortable and wary of her. What did she see when she looked at him? Did she see the curse that bound him to this form, eating away at his humanity?

He stewed on the couch, nestled on a plush microfiber blanket that Gabriel had brought out a few days ago when the night got too cold. He was upset and afraid of being found out, especially by a witch who might do him more harm than good.

_Was he acting too strange?_

_Did he need to be more standoffish with strangers?_

Jack tried to connect with his cat instincts, but kept coming up short. It wasn’t in him to be an asshole to guests of the coffee shop when Gabriel was a few feet away, smiling proudly towards him. Jack hated to admit it, but the praise made his heart swell. He wanted to make his new owner happy.

He wasn’t expecting a few minutes later to hear the sound of Gabriel’s footsteps amble up the stairs, and he certainly wasn’t expecting the look of anguish and defeat coloring the man’s face while he moved to the kitchen to splash water on his face.

The cursed human pushed himself up onto all fours and jumped to the top of the sofa backing to observe.

Gabriel was…crying?

Jack felt like he was invading on the human’s privacy while Gabriel wiped at his face with a clean dish towel, trying to right his emotions. Whatever conversation he must’ve had downstairs after Jack retreated had troubled and frustrated him enough to the point of tears.

The feline jumped down from the couch and went to his owner. He brushed his body against the human’s leg, trying to offer some kind of comfort while he meowed loudly in concern.

Gabriel paused, setting the towel down to look at Jack with drained eyes.

“I’m so tired of this bullshit.” The older man exhaled, shaken. “I should just shift to get this over with, but what if something bad happens again?”

Jack had his suspicions on Gabriel’s true nature, and the honesty in the words confirmed his thoughts. Gabriel was a shifter, but something was wrong with his powers.

Jack meowed his condolences.

“And you….why is _abuela_ so persistent that there’s something wrong with you?” He asked. He knelt down to scoop up the feline, holding him close. “You’ve been such a good cat.”

Of course the cursed human felt guilty, but why risk his safety? He knew his curse came with consequences if he tried to seek out help to regain his human form. The last time he had tried…

It hadn’t turned out well for the last owner.

He shuddered to think of anything awful happening to Gabriel, when the man so clearly had enough on his plate. If Jack could just offer some peace of mind and solace from his troubles, he felt that was a good a job as any.

Gabriel ended up walking them to the couch, sitting on the warm sofa with his cat held up against his chest.

Jack purred and nestled into the affectionate hold while Gabriel rubbed at his cheeks. Little by little, the shifter’s worries began to calm and settle.

Outside, it began to rain.

Thunder rolled off in the distance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we know why an owl is on the logo for the coffee shop. :)
> 
> Typically in lore, lechuzas are female witches who take the forms of large owls and terrorize humans. For the sake of the story, Gabriel is something similar to a lechuza. Lechuzas run in his family.
> 
> Come say hello~  
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> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” -J.K. Rowling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for disturbing war violence and imagery, including disturbing harm to a family. Discussions of PTSD and anxiety.

 

**4.**

_Then_

Her fingers ran softly through his short dark brown curls while a lullaby rolled off her lips. Gabriel’s hair was growing long again, easily coiled around the tips of her delicate fingers. He had inherited his grandfather’s beautiful curls, though the young boy would soon cut them short in favor of keeping his head cool when the LA weather warmed. Cassandra Reyes always hated shearing off her son’s beautiful hair, but he was adamant.

Now, the reminder of his grandfather lay bitter in the back of his throat.

The comfort of his mother always seemed to quell the anger and fear he felt towards his new condition, but the wound was still too new and raw to go unnoticed.

“Does papi hate me?” Gabriel asked.

It took his mother back to hear such a strong word. Hatred had never been something Gabriel expressed, not even when he refused to eat his celery. “No, Gabi, he’s just concerned.”

“Papi wouldn’t come out to say goodbye to us. He used to always give me a hug, but he couldn’t even look at me. He stayed upstairs when we left. I know he hates me now.”

Cassandra frowned, smoothing her son’s hair not only to ease him, but to comfort herself as well. “He doesn’t hate you. He’s just not sure what to say. You are a special boy, Gabriel, do you know that?”

“I’m the _only_ boy in the family.”

“Yes, that is true, but you are also a very special shifter, _mijo_. Do you know how many of us get to shift into a barn owl? They are one of the most beautiful creatures on this earth, and if you use your powers correctly, you will do great good. There is so much promise in you.”

Gabriel leaned against his mother, wishing her words were true. He was old enough to recognize that she was trying to console him, and although he appreciated her unwavering love, it didn’t stop him from feeling the crawling sensation of dirt and grime under his skin. Didn’t stop him from feeling different and ashamed.

“Eva called me a dirty _lechuza_. She said I was possessed by a demon and that I’ll end up bringing bad luck to everyone.” Gabriel confided, his lip quivering slightly. “She said that you all should’ve left me in the woods, and that the city was too dangerous for me.”

“ _Eva_ said that?” Cassandra frowned; shocked her second eldest would mock Gabriel in such a cruel way. She kissed the top of her son’s head. “She is wrong, Gabi. I’m sure she said it because she is jealous that her little brother shifted before her.”

Nonetheless, Cassandra knew she would have to sit Eva and Veronica down and have a firm talking to them regarding how they interacted with their little brother. It was disheartening to think that they would view Gabriel differently because of an age old family curse, bust she understood their fears.

In honesty, Cassandra also felt the small tendrils of fear over what her son had become.

For generations, donning the feathers of a barn owl, a _lechuza_ , was a curse to the family. If a _lechuza_ couldn’t rein in their powers and learn to harness them for good, they could lose themselves to the darker forces that existed in this world.

Gabriel’s mother knew that there were a few isolated stories of hope to those who succumbed to the _lechuza_ ’s grasp in past generations, but they were few and far between. The last _lechuza_ had been her great aunt, _Tia_ Andrea, who isolated herself from the family after she began to go insane due to her condition. After her death, the family feared who would be next, and kept the children who had not presented yet close under their watchful eyes.

When Veronica presented as a Northern white-faced owl, the family sighed in relief and looked on to the next grandchild with concern.

Cassandra’s worried eyes had been so heavily on Eva that she didn’t stop to think that her only son could be taken next. 

Gabriel was now marked and there was nothing to be done to reverse it.

“I know you will do great things with your gift, _mijo_. Don’t listen to what anyone else has to say. Your great, great _abuelo_ had the same powers as you, and he was a good and honorable man. I will help you and be there with you, every step of the way. I promise.” Gabriel’s mother vowed.

And although he wanted to believe her and trust in her words, the sinking feeling that he wasn’t strong enough pressed against the young boy’s mind.

Every now and then, he could feel the crawling of power this entity had bestowed on him. This power that chained and owned him now, keeping him captive in its will.

Even in the safety of his mother’s arm, he could hear the _lechuza_ whispering softly to his conscious, reminding him of his curse.

_I know you. I know you._

*

_I know you._

Gabriel’s unit had been following orders.

Blind to the consequences of their actions, they followed their commands and exacted them in deadly precision. They were a unit of supernaturally enhanced individuals, trained to be the best of the best in an elite task force for special ops missions. Any enemy that came against them were faced with a challenge, especially if they were human. Most never survived.

For Gabriel, death had become another part of his day like brewing coffee or brushing his teeth. He never thought much of it, other than that he was good at what he did.

He couldn’t wash the blood from his hands.  From time to time, when he was alone and without distraction, a worrisome voice echoed in his head. Every time he killed, he felt the swell of the demon inside him praising him for his good work.

A _lechuza_ in the military was a prized asset.

The words of his mother, so many years ago, echoed in his head while he scoped out the damage to their latest hit. They went from room to room, seeking out the body of their target with guns ready and driven eyes.

Gabriel’s mother had disproved of him joining the military; Gabriel’s grandparents even more so. They had warned him about what the _lechuza_ could do, and that feeding the spirit would deepen the curse and cause him to lose his mind. However, when he joined and began to grow in strength, he had never felt better when shifting. Surrounded by other shifters and supernaturals, he had felt at home and accepted for what he was.

His colleagues praised him with awe, devoid of the knowing horror that echoed in Gabriel’s family’s eyes.

The owl shifter went down the left end of the hall, opening doors and shining his light into the dusty, broken down rooms. He scanned over the bodies of the enemies, trying to locate their high level target with his enhanced sight.

He shut the door and moved on to the next room quietly, poised and ready to kill.

The soldier moved into the last room at the end of the hall, prepared to shoot on sight while adrenaline pumped in his ears.

The room was in even more disarray with furniture toppled over and a part of the far wall crumbling down. He heard the rustling of sounds and honed into their secrets.

He narrowed his eyes, sensing another life in the room.

Ordered to shoot on sight, he had pulled the trigger without thinking.

_I know you will do great things with your gift, mijo._

A woman screamed and toppled over, clutching her chest.

_Shit._

With the dust clearing, Gabriel felt his heart lurch into his throat while he ran towards her, pushing her to the side to see if she was wearing a uniform or if she was a civilian.

A child cried from the corner, screaming with blood and dirt caked to her face. Gabriel’s eyes glanced back and forth, trying to process why there were civilians in the building. He tried to choke out apologies, but his eyes fixed on the swell of the woman’s stomach.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Her eyes stared back unseeing while her body convulsed, opening itself to death.

Gabriel turned, pulling down his facemask in time to vomit on the ground. His heart ached and chest heaved while a panic attack began to wrap its fingers around his form.

The child cowered in the corner with fear, seeing Gabriel for what he was; _a monster_.

“Reyes. Reyes, come in. What’s your status?”

It took him a moment to shakily press at his ear piece and respond.

“There’s a dead woman and a kid in here.” Gabriel choked out.

“Is the kid still alive?”

“Yeah, but she’s hurt bad and scared as hell. I didn’t mean- I shot the mom without thinking.”

“You’re ordered to shoot on sight.”

“I know, but I didn’t mean-“

“Shoot. On. Sight. No survivors, remember?”

When his brain processed the meaning and intent to the words, Gabriel crumbled with realization and horror.

He glanced back to the little girl, who couldn’t have been older than eight.

“They’re _civilians_!” Gabriel reminded, feeling dizzy. His mouth was dry from the horror of the situation and the cloying feel of dirt in his lungs. He tried to approach the child, wanting to get her out of the building and to safety. The child looked up to him with innocent umber eyes, clouded with fear and uncertainty. “ _She’s a child_.”

“Shoot on sight. That’s an _order,_ Reyes!”

He had no time to question the words when another soldier came in, lifting his gun and taking aim.

A gunshot rang and Gabriel felt a piece of himself die with it.

*

*

_Now_

Gabriel woke up to his body convulsing and mouth open, coming to just in time to hear the hoarse scream of terror pulling from his throat.

He gasped for breath, rolling out of bed shakily while nausea churned heavy in his stomach. He barely made it into the bathroom to empty the entire contents of his stomach into the toilet. The old shifter heaved and spit for minutes after, clutching the toilet as if it were his lifeline to this world.

The cold porcelain kept him from withering to the ground into the mess he knew he would devolve into if the adrenaline and fear didn’t stop. Hot tears stung his eyes and blurred the outline of his vision, forcing him to keep his eyes closed until he could reorient himself.

He tried to recall some sort of mantra while his skin began to prickle with goosebumps and fingers twitched with his frazzled nerves. His body ached with the familiar need to shift and escape to the open air where he could leave his troubles behind.

However, there was mental block to the change, and his skin visibly rippled unnaturally while it fought between its human form and the desire to shift into a barn owl.

Instead, a soft head bumped against his arm while little paws pressed against his leg trying to get closer to his slouched form.

Soldier meowed loudly, concerned while he kept bumping his head and brushing the side of his body against Gabriel’s for a reaction. When that didn’t seem to work, he lightly bit as Gabriel’s arm, jarring the soldier into the present.

Gabriel twitched, shuddering while Soldier pulled his mouth away and licked at the small bite-mark with his sandpaper tongue. The shifter looked over to the cat and wiped his eyes, allowing the feline to get out from under his arm so that he could move on his hind legs to try and cuddle up to Gabe’s shoulder.

The shifter accepted the comfort and sat back against the tub, allowing his cat to lick his neck and ear. Soldier was purring loudly, trying to calm his owner while the other’s breathing began to even out.

“Shit, I’m okay little man. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Gabriel whispered gravelly. He continued to pet Soldier’s white fur carefully, allowing himself to ground his thoughts and emotions in the now. “It was just a bad dream.”

He remained at the side of the tub for a few minutes to allow his heartbeat to even out pace.

When Gabriel stood up from the cold bathroom tile, Soldier didn’t leave his side. He followed him into the kitchen, even going so far as to jump on the counter to watch his owner pour a cup of water and down it as if he were supervising him. They then both moved to the couch, where the old veteran pulled out some warm blankets and turned on a baking show to help him drown out his thoughts.

Soldier curled up against his chest, purring noisily in contentment while Gabriel rubbed at his head with his broad thumb. The feel of warmth and the slight vibrations helped soothe the ache in Gabriel’s chest, lulling him into a daze while he watched the chefs make croquembouche on the TV.

He hated that he could still taste the burn of smoke and sulfur in the back of his mouth.

Every few moments he checked his hands, making sure the telltale bumpy flesh didn’t give way to talons and feathers.

That his hands were still clean from the blood and sand.

*

*

Over the next two days, Gabriel only ventured between the coffee shop and his home. He was quiet most of the time, a mix of exhaustion from nights of little to no rest, and days spent with a stifled, silent argument between him and his family. Jesse made attempts to crack at his exterior, but the older man was reluctant to budge.

Even his cat was behaving slightly overbearing with his clinginess towards his owner. Soldier was a literal shadow while he followed the shifter around anxiously.

The veteran was going through a rough patch, and without the relief of shifting, it seemed to make everything worse.

It was Genji who attempted to make light of things and clear the negative energy from the air.

“You know, perhaps it would be good for you to go out and get some fresh air.”

“Opening a window is good enough.” Gabriel shrugged, grouchy from his sleep deprivation and a nagging grandmother who gave him a knowing look every time they crossed paths in the café.

“You need to get out of this groove.” Genji stated with a shake of his head. “You are scaring away customers. As much as I enjoy seeing brave flirts get let down by your icy glare, I worry for your health.”

“Seriously, you too, now? Did my grandma get you to rally for her cause, too?”

Genji snorted, “I’m only encouraging you to go out and maybe go on a date or something? Something lighthearted; a change of pace. I’ve had a few of my friends ask about you and you know I’m a good matchmaker.”  He offered with a wink.

Gabriel would deny that his cheeks turned slightly pink. He hadn’t thought about dating in a long time, having been single for most of his life. He had partaken in a few flings here and there, but nothing ever serious. With a committed career that left him deployed for months to even years at a time, a long term relationship just never seemed to be in the cards.

After he left the military, he was then faced with his recovery and starting his life all over again. Where was romance when he barely had his shit together?

Enjoying time with someone new did seem mildly appealing. He shrugged, “Sure, why the hell not? Let’s test out these matchmaking skills of yours.”

The green haired dragon chuckled, “I can give you a number, but from there it’s up to you two to make your own fun out of the date.”

“Fine. It’s worth a shoot.”

“See? Your mood is already improving.” The younger man nodded in approval. “Sometimes it is good to try new things. Get out of our comfort zones.”

Gabriel had to smile at that, shrugging while he rearranged the pastry display. “Do you always see the good in things?”

“I try to.” Genji replied, occupied with his cleaning. “I was a very angry youth, and that anger never led me to any good. Some things came to a head and I realized it is better to go through life seeing the good in others, versus being bitter.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Gabriel agreed. He paused for a moment and glanced back to his employee. “I’ll try to see the positives in this mess.”

“I’ll hold you to it, boss.” Genji smiled. A customer came into the store, drawing the younger man away to take their order.

There was still some slight apprehension to the idea of a date, but Gabriel figured there was no harm in meeting someone outside his circle of friends. The last date he had been on was months ago when he was still living in Los Angeles.

He figured that despite the mess of his personal life, a date could break up the monotony of his week.

*

*

*

Jack never liked strangers.

He especially hated it when strangers were being brought into his and Gabriel’s home.

He had watched the shifter getting ready earlier in the evening with piqued interest. There was a noticeable pep to his step that didn’t go unnoticed while he played music and sang in the shower. Jack laid on Gabriel’s bed, and soaked in the heat of the comforter while his ears picked up on the café owner’s smooth singing voice.

Gabriel came out a few minutes afterwards, rummaging through his walk-in closet with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

Jack didn’t feel lust anymore; he was a cat and could care less about attraction or sex. However, he did still have enough of a mind to notice that Gabriel was a very well-built, good looking man with many scars, and a few tattoos.

Jack yawned, stretching out his legs while his ears wiggled.

“Got a hot date tonight, Soldier.” Gabriel pet at Jack’s soft white stomach. The cursed human permitted it, melting under the touch. “Dunno what to wear. Red or blue?”

He pulled away to walk towards his full length mirror. By now he had a pair of boxer briefs on that hugged his well-toned ass and accentuated the curve of his thigh muscles. The veteran then wiggled on some pants, shimmying them up his thighs and hips until he could secure them at the top.

Gabriel could’ve easily been a model, Jack thought.

It was cute to watch Gabriel check himself out in the mirror while he held up a red and a blue top, switching them out to see what looked best. He laid them out on the bed, assessing.

Wanting to be of help, Jack outstretched his paw to the burgundy red shirt.

“This one?” Gabriel asked.

Jack blinked at him, not wanting to appear too clever.

By the end of Gabriel’s primping and dressing, he looked fantastic. He looked great every day, but Jack appreciated seeing a change in the man and hoped for the best for him. There wasn’t much else a cat _could_ do, other than to be happy for their ‘owner.’

Jack followed Gabriel out into the living room, making sure he got his head pat and a kiss to his forehead from the café owner, before Gabriel grabbed his keys and left for his date.

Distantly, Jack wondered if Gabriel would’ve been interested in him, were he still human. It was something to ponder over, until Jack felt troubled by the realization that he didn’t know if he was handsome or plain in his human form. He couldn't recall whether he had brown hair or blonde, or if he had been tall and strong like Gabriel. He assumed he must have been in relatively good shape to be a hunter, but had he been good looking? Would Gabriel have found him appealing?

He didn’t exactly know what Gabriel’s type was, although he knew the man was into other men if the porn he’d heard Gabriel watching was anything to go by.

More memories were slipping…

The cursed human soothed his distress by curling into a ball, reminding himself that he couldn't mourn over something he couldn't remember. 

For what his life was, it was good to be under Gabriel's care. Jack could at least count that as a blessing.

He didn't have to live on the streets, and for that he was grateful. 

*

Jack eventually fell asleep on his cat tree near the door and remained there for a few hours until the sounds of voices outside reached his ears.

It was where he now found himself, glaring at the guest Gabriel had brought into their home.

Usually Jack was one to go hide out somewhere while his past owners brought home hook-ups or got into the mood of romancing. Jack had zero interest in witnessing, hearing, or _smelling_ anything so personal. Even though he was a cat, he still had plenty of human wherewithal to know that was creepy. Thus, he usually went into a separate room to sleep or look out a window for enjoyment and to give his owner privacy.

However, the moment Gabriel’s date set foot in the house, Jack despised him.

The guy had longer dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and was built slightly smaller than Gabriel. He wore a collared shirt and some faded jeans with brand new shows. The white feline sat up in his cat tree, judging him critically and deeming him unworthy of his kind owner.

The first thing the man said when he saw Jack was, “Wow, you cat’s face is all fucked up.” He chuckled, grinning shark like.

Jack narrowed his eyes, unimpressed and mildly offended.

“He was a stray alley cat.” Gabriel explained while he took off his Doc Martens and set them by the door. “His name is Soldier. I think he’s been through a few fights.”

“I’m more of a dog person. Cats are so mean and antisocial.” The guy spoke up, his voice taking on a ‘know it all’ tilt. “We had a cat growing up and it was an asshole.”

Gabriel paused, taken back by the comment. “Well, Soldier is a good boy. He comes into the café pretty frequently and likes to hang out.”

The date walked over to Jack and reached out his hand to pet him. Jack looked over to Gabriel and then to the younger man, only tolerating a few rough head pats before he pulled away and jumped to the second tier of his cat tree. If Gabriel hadn’t been present, Jack would’ve swatted the hell out of the man’s hand.

There was something about the guy that was off.

Having been a cat for a long time now, Jack had gained a sense of humans who were harmless and kind, as well as those who were dangerous and unfriendly. His senses told him the man was a bad apple, and he stuck by the assessment.

There was also a foul stench of sulfur, meaning…

“So, what would you like to drink, Chase?” Gabriel asked while he rummaged through the kitchen.

“You have a beer?”

Gabriel shrugged, “I don’t drink, but I can offer you root beer.”

“That sounds great!” Chase sat at the couch and put his bare feet on the coffee table, making himself at home. “Though a beer would’ve been nice.”

Jack couldn’t get why this asshole was in his home. He glared at him from the top perch of his cat tree, channeling all of his energy to show his disapproval. Gabriel walked past him, seeming to offer him a quelling look before focusing his attention on his date.

The two clanked bottles and settled into the couch, sitting close while the Netflix screen began to load. Jack had seen this scenario enough times to know where it was going and inwardly cringed.

He jumped down and began to investigate Chase’s shoes, finding the smell of him repulsive.

Wanting to dissuade Gabriel’s attention from a man who seemed completely unworthy of his affection, Jack jumped up on the back of the couch near Gabriel’s shoulder and curled up close, keeping one eye open to watch Chase’s movements.

The café owner and his date settled into the blankets, and of course they eventually began making out, which Jack outwardly despised.

He yawned, meowing loudly, and pawed at Gabriel’s head.

Gabriel began to chuckle, pulling away from his date to give Jack a few chin scratches.

Chase didn’t seem impressed. “Maybe you could put him somewhere else while we’re out here? He keeps staring at us and it’s kind of creepy.”

“He’s just a cat.” Gabriel chuckled, shrugging off the comment. “He likes to be where I am.”

“He doesn’t seem very nice towards new people.” Chase reached across to pet Jack, but Jack swatted his hand away without his claws. “ _See_?”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t have called him ugly earlier. He’s very sensitive.” Gabriel chided.

“Cats aren’t sensitive. They’re selfish.” The younger man frowned. “They’re better off outside, catching mice.”

Gabriel sighed, quiet for a moment. “Maybe you haven’t been around enough cats? I’m going to use the restroom real quick, so Soldier-“ he pointed to his cat, “-be nice.”

Chase and Jack glared at each other.

As soon as Gabriel left, Chase snorted, looking back at the cat. His eyes turned black.

“That’s quite a nasty curse that witch put on you.” Chase replied.

 _He’s some sort of demon. Of course._ Jack eyed him challengingly. He’d dealt with many demons in the past and was rarely ever impressed. It was no wonder the man hated cats- most dark entities did. The putrid sulfur smell wasn’t the shadow creature that hid in the corners, it was Chase.

Nowadays, demons weren’t always bad. However, they did come with a bad stigma attached to them. It was no wonder Jack’s senses had been showing such distaste. It seemed like Chase was one of the bad apples in the demon world _. Perhaps an incubus?_

Chase reached out to pet Jack, but the old cat wanted nothing from it. He swatted Chase’s hand away, this time using his sharp claws to defend himself from the rough, unfriendly touch.

The demon hissed, pulling his hand away. “Stupid cat.” He then pushed both hands to shove Jack roughly off the couch. “Swat me again and I’ll throw you outside to the wolves.”

Chase stood up from the couch, seeming ready to grab him when the toilet flushed in the other room. They both heard the sink, preluding Gabriel’s return.

Jack hissed at the demon for good measure and ran towards the bathroom, pawing at the door. Gabriel came out in surprise while Jack meowed incessantly to him, trying to communicate his distress.

“See? He can’t stand to be away from me.” Gabriel observed, though he did note Soldier’s behavior was more exaggerated than usual. He set the cat on his cat tree and went back to his date.

Chase’s eyes had changed back while he sunk back on the couch, Gabriel making a point to straddle his waist with an interested smirk.

Not one to let someone sleep with an unworthy incubus, Jack raced down from the tree to climb up the back of the couch and meow loudly at his owner. Gabriel gently nudged Jack away while he made out with his date, but Jack was determined to get the demon out of their home.

The worry that Gabriel could be under an illusion crossed his mind, but Jack remained stubborn in using every trick in his cat skills to annoy his owner and Chase enough to separate.

Gabriel growled in frustration when Jack climbed up his back, sinking some of his claws into his flesh. He picked up his cat, “What’s gotten into you? If you don’t behave yourself, I’m going to have to lock you in the bathroom.”

He placed Jack on the floor and went back to his previous activity.

Incredibly annoyed, Jack ran towards the front door. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Jack reasoned that this was the most appropriate course of action.

He looked to Gabriel’s and Chase’s shoes and took a deep breath.

He then proceeded to defecate on the shoes, making sure Chase’s were the main target.

The smell of excrement was strong and cloying in the air, causing both Gabriel and Chase to pull apart and yell in alarm at Jack once they realized what he was doing.

Mission accomplished, Jack scurried away when Chase lunged at him, infuriated.

“What the actual fuck, Soldier?!” Gabriel yelled at him while Jack went down the hall, glaring at the pair from the doorway to Gabriel’s room.

“Your cat is a psycho.” Chase seethed, eyes black.

Gabriel blinked, taking notice of the eyes change and glowered. “Maybe he doesn’t like demons.”

Chase scoffed.

“Maybe you should go. My cat obviously hates you, so this obviously isn’t going to work.”

“Or we could throw your cat outside and finish this in the bedroom?”

Wary now that he knew he was facing a demon, Gabriel shook his head, sighing. It was no wonder Soldier was so against his guest. Cats were known to hate demons, just as much as demons despised cats.

Not wanting to escalate the situation, he handed Chase his coat. “Look, it was nice meeting you, but I can’t hook up with someone who hates my cat.”

“So you rather sleep _alone_ tonight with your cat, versus with _me_?”

“Yeah, I would, actually. Have a good night.” Gabriel opened the front door.

Chase grumbled, picking up his dirtied shoes with distaste. “You owe me a new pair of shoes, asshole.”

“Maybe you should think before you call someone ugly.”

With that, he shut the door behind Chase and locked it. Gabriel looked down to his own shoes, frown deepening while he realized he would need to deep clean the floor and his favorite pair of boots.

Jack watched him from the other end of the hall, still aggravated.

That night, Gabriel shut Jack out of his room when he went to bed.

*

He eventually opened the door two hours later, relenting that he couldn’t sleep without the warm presence of his feline companion.

*

*

*

Jesse came over the following night with the promise of takeout and vanilla crème sodas.

The werewolf placed the Chinese takeout carefully on the coffee table while Gabriel retrieved some plates and silverware, already clearing his head for the conversation they were about to have. The shifter knew a peace offering when he saw one. Jesse’s unrelenting kindness and concern always softened his mentor’s heart, and Jesse was used to playing mediator between Gabriel and his grandmother.

“Did _abuela_ pay for this, or did you?” He questioned while he sat at the couch and handed his younger adoptive brother a plate.

“I did, actually. I came out of my own concern for you. I’m wounded you’d think I’d have to be bribed into hanging out with you.”

“You’re so full of it.” Gabriel huffed in amusement, piling some chow mein on his plate.

“So Genji said you went out with Chase…” Jesse strategically changed the subject. “How did that go? I never much liked him, so I was surprised you agreed to it.”

“Not well. Dude was a demon and made Soldier mad. Soldier ended up pissing and defecating all over the guy’s shoes.”

Jesse barked out a loud, thunderous laugh.

Gabriel couldn’t hide his satisfied grin.

“ _Really_?! Soldier, _our_ Soldier, shit on a demon’s shoes because he didn’t like him?” Jesse couldn’t stop laughing. He reached behind Gabriel and pulled over Soldier, holding him up so that he could kiss his head. “You really _are_ a keeper, aren’t ya? Keepin Gabi from gettin his dick wet in some evil demon.”

Soldier meowed, sounding much like he was agreeing.

“I love this cat.” Jesse declared while he set Soldier on his lap and pet him fondly. “This is the best fucking cat in the whole universe.”

“Please don’t tell Genji about the date. He’ll be mortified that he set me up with a cat hating demon.” Gabriel groaned.

“We all know how two faced some demons can be. I’m sure Genji would find it hilarious. Besides, Soldier has now proved himself a competent owner of one Gabriel Reyes.”

Gabriel shoved playfully at Jesse’s shoulder. “Asshole.” He muttered warmly.

The two fell into a companionable silence while they ate greasy Chinese food, drank their vanilla crème sodas (bottled, because it was the expensive stuff), and watched another one of Gabriel’s favorite baking shows.

Halfway through, Jesse cleared his throat. “Thank you for agreeing to hang out with me. It’s weird when we’re not talking and I’m sorry I went behind your back to talk to _abuela_ about your condition. You know we’re all worried about you. Mom calls me every day worried sick about you.”

Gabriel ran his hand across his closely buzzed head and tried to level his emotions. The anger wasn’t in him anymore, and he understood where the lycan was coming from. He knew this conversation was coming the moment Jesse had texted him, asking to hangout.

“I knew you had an ulterior motive.”

“No.” Jesse corrected, “I have great concern for you. You’re not getting any better. In fact, it’s gettin worse and I’m afraid for you.”

“It’s the same shit as always.” The older man deflected. “I’m just in a slump again.”

“Not like this. You know it’s never been like this. You haven’t shifted in _months,_ and your body and mind are slowly slipping. When’s the last time you slept a full night?”

Gabriel didn’t answer.

The lycan pressed on. “You’re not well. I’ve seen some improvement when Soldier came along, but the bags under your eyes are getting darker the closer that full moon comes. If you don’t shift at harvest, you could go through a relapse change. I don’t want to see you deteriorate.”

“I know...” The shifter looked down to the ground, leaning forward until his elbows were resting against his knees.

“So would you agree to it? If _abuela_ and I brought in a shaman, would you say yes to getting help?”

Gabriel hated this conversation, his thoughts a collection of storm clouds in his head. “What choice do I have?”

He thought of his sobriety and how hard he had worked so hard to achieve it. How difficult it had been when he first came home and drowned himself in alcohol to numb the pain and rid himself of his memories. He thought the alcohol had helped his PTSD, but it only made it worse.

This felt like a fragment of that life…another intervention.

Gabriel was having a difficult time shifting, and a part of him didn’t want to shift due to the monster coursing through his veins.

A hand rested at his back, reassuring in its presence. “You know I’ll be there for you every step of the way. Hell, you’ve been through enough with me. I’m glad to pay it forward in kind.”

“This isn’t the same.” Gabriel scolded.

Jesse disagreed. “Isn’t it, though? When I change, I could kill people. I lose my full sense of self and become prisoner to my instincts. Just as you are prisoner to that thing inside of you.”

“You don’t have a choice on your transformation.” Gabriel reminded him. “I do. I’m fully aware of what I’m doing, and I used to feed into it. Used to enjoy it; the stealth, the power, the killing. It fed me with purpose until I was prisoner to it.” 

“We’re all prisoner to our powers, Gabriel. I’m prisoner to the moon, just as you are prisoner to your blood and the what's inside of you. We learn to accept it.” Jesse ran a hand across his scruffy beard. “The longer you push back your natural shifting, the more likely it’ll be that a forced change will happen and you’ll be stuck. You don’t want to end up insane like the others in the past.”

“No, I don’t.” Gabriel answered bitterly.

Jesse took it for as much of an approval as it was. He sighed deeply, feeling all the more exhausted for discussing the sore topic. Still, there was a sense of relief knowing that there would be help soon.

Gabriel knew he didn’t have a choice anymore. It was either try, or risk losing his mind.

*

*

*

Another night, another nightmare.

As the full moon grew closer, Jack noticed how tired and sick Gabriel physically appeared. He was sluggish and less coherent throughout the day, and by the time he came home, vegetated on the couch while he nursed a headache with his pain.

The cursed human worried over Gabriel at night, watching his face twitch in discomfort and breathing quicken while unpleasant dreams wracked his mind.

Across the room, the shadow observed with its shock of red eyes. It was unable to approach so long as Jack was there, guarding over his owner vigilantly.

The figure didn’t speak or attempt to make contact.

Only stood, waiting for Jack to leave.

 _Give it up._ Jack thought from where he laid, across Gabriel’s chest.

He tried to get some sleep, but he was restless and unsettled.

Something was on the horizon, but Jack couldn’t place what it was.

All he could do was play sentinel over Gabriel and wait.

*

*

*

It was close to eleven in the evening and Gabriel was still in the cafe, making the final clean up and prep for the kitchen. He always preferred closing his shop after knowing everything was spotless. His eyes weighed heavy with exhaustion while he wiped down counters and set out the pots and pans he would need in the morning to make some breakfast quiches.

Jesse was out in the main café area, adjusting tables and chairs while he swept the hardwood floors.

Nothing struck Gabriel as out of the ordinary while he lost himself to his thoughts.

He mulled over Soldier’s reaction to his houseguest the other day, snorting lightly when he reflected on how ‘ferocious’ his little cat had been to protect him from the demon. There was no doubt that his bond with the scarred rescue had grown deep in the few short weeks he’d had him under his care.

Gabriel loved his cat and was thankful to have the company all through the night.

Currently, Soldier was out on his perch sleeping while Jesse’s voice hummed along some tunes. It was a shame the cat wasn’t allowed behind the counter or in the kitchen, but health codes were in place for a reason.

The door to the café chimed. Gabriel shrugged it off, wondering if Genji had gone out for an ice cream run and was bringing back some treats for them. He finished setting out the pots and took off his cleaning gloves.

The bell at the counter rang and Gabriel snorted, “I’m coming, hold up, Shimada!”

When he walked out into the main room, he stopped dead in his tracks.

There was no flock of green hair to greet him. Instead, Cassandra Reyes stood on the other side of the counter with her greying brown hair and warm chestnut eyes. She smelled of home and looked just as beautiful as she always did, every time he saw her.

“ _Mom_? What are you doing here?” Gabriel’s voice only wavered slightly, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Cassandra smiled, but there was something tight and restrained. Gabriel noticed her eyes were slightly pink and puffy from tears.

Gabriel swallowed his fear, “Is everything okay? Where’s dad?”

“He’s okay, _mijo_. He’ll be here later. We came to help.”

The ‘we’ became apparent when Gabriel glanced back to the door, just in time to see Elena being led through by a tall, broad figure. Jesse was nervously playing with the pockets on his pants while he glanced between Gabriel’s reaction and the shaman’s.

Akande Ogundimu.

He should’ve seen it coming, but it still blindsided him.

His family had called in one of the most skilled shamans known in all of the supernatural community. The Ogundimus were world renown for their strength and medical practices when it came to the most severe cases. Elena Solis had always had a close friendship with Akande’s grandfather, Adhabu. It should’ve been no surprise to see the descendant of such a powerful shaman in his humble café, but Gabriel was stunned.

Immediately, anger and denial rose to the surface.

“Are you _serious_? You went behind my back and called in _him_!?” Gabriel spat, flustered and annoyed. He wanted to lash out, but he tried to rein in his anger and identify where it was coming from. He had been expecting a local shaman such a Lucio, but was greeted instead by an old family friend/childhood rival.

He knew his family was just trying to help him, but to bring in Akande? Gabriel felt a headache coming on.

 “Gabriel.” Akande regarded the other man with a nod. “It has been some time since I’ve seen you. You do not look well.”

The shifter bit back the harsh reply that soured his tongue. Although he was upset, his anger was more directed on himself and his situation than on his family and the shaman before him. Akande was doing the family a favor by taking time out of his schedule to see them. He may not have been the ‘local’ shaman, but he was surely well regarded and respected by the Solis-Reyes families and other shifters alike.

Akande wore an impeccably tailored suit and carried with him a large briefcase that no doubt housed his tools for his specific skillset. He regarded Gabriel carefully, seeing through his bullshit to identify the root of the problem. If there was ever a shaman who could bend the dark forces, it would be an Ogundimu.

Gabriel had two options: He could run from his problems and be scolded, or he could bite the bullet and face his fears.

Not one to back down, the youngest Reyes stood tall and grit his teeth, eyes challenging. “So are we doing this now?”

A visible sigh of relief left Cassandra, her eyes misting with tears. Elena looked satisfied while Jesse stood beside her, still cautious of the whole situation.

“It depends. Are you prepared to face your demons?” Akande questioned.

“I don’t have much of a choice otherwise.” Gabriel relented, placing his hands on his hips.

They were shaking.

Akande seemed pleased with the response. “Then now is as good a time as any. Shall we go upstairs?”

Gabriel glanced back to his family, his face taut with anxiety. The rest seemed just as worried, but with more relief than anything Gabriel could muster. After all, they weren’t the ones possessed by whatever dark forces were at play. They weren’t the ones about to go through excruciating pain to cleanse their bodies.

Soldier was sitting up in his cat tree, watching his owner with hyper focus from across the room.

The café owner cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ll lead the way.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re getting a few steps closer to figuring out what is going on with Gabe, as well as Jack’s predicament. Sorry for the long wait on this- October had a lot of projects and deadlines due. X_x  
> I chose Akande as the shaman because he has the perfect, powerful, collected presence I was looking for to push Gabriel to face his demons. This is my first time writing Akande and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring more of his character and translating it to this storyline. (Thank you MaidenM for the suggestion!)
> 
> Also, the bit with Jack hating Gabe’s date was 100% based on my old roommate’s ex who said he hated cats. My cat then despised him and did little things to show his distaste for the guy. It was awesome. Also thank you to Ohappyfair for the funny conversation based around the scenario. ;)
> 
> Come say hello~  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can't help this awful energy  
> God damn right, you should be scared of me  
> Who is in control?” -‘Control’, Halsey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings in this chapter for exorcism and some body horror. There’s also talk of soul stuff, but it’s purely for the sake of the supernatural universe.

**5.**

The first thing Akande did when he stepped foot into Gabriel Reyes’s home was stop after three strides into the room and close his eyes. The man stood stock still while he pushed his palms out into the open, taking in the surroundings and the energy that vibrated through the living space. He breathed in deep, filling his large barrel chest and holding the breath in for a few moments while his other senses dialed in.

Gabriel watched the shaman with guarded uncertainty, worrying slightly what he was picking up on; wondering if he had missed something crucial during his time living there. Akande slowly exhaled through his mouth and opened his eyes, revealing a stern look.

“There is an entity in your home.” The older man stated. “You have tried to dispel it many times before, but it is tied to you. It’s feeding off of your nightmares.”

Gabriel looked wearily back towards his grandmother. Elena’s face was calm and collected while she moved into the space, seeming unperturbed by the news. Cassandra tried to offer some comfort while she ran a hand against Gabriel’s back.

“We have tried sage and other remedies to rid the house of negative energy, but we were unaware that something else had taken residence here.” Elena explained carefully. “I’m assuming it isn’t a ghost.”

“It’s something much older than that.” He tipped his chin towards the darkened hallway. “It’s a parasitic spirit. We will deal with it first.”

The shifter looked unsettled upon hearing the news and ran a nervous hand across his mouth. “Do you have an idea of what exactly it is?”

“It will reveal itself to us soon. It will have no choice once we begin.” Akande assessed the room and glanced back to Jesse. “We will need an area with the most amount of space.”

From there, the three men began to move the furniture aside while Cassandra and Elena draped old bedsheets over the TV and set candles throughout the room. All the inside doors in the house were opened while salt was carefully lined up at the windowsills and underneath the closed front and back doors. Akande instructed that whatever was in the home, he would capture it first and dispose of it later to ensure it didn’t come back.  

The area rug was rolled away from the hardwood floors where Akande could begin laying out the items he would need in order to work on Gabriel. He clicked open his large briefcase and began to pull out different bags of herbs and remedies, setting them out one by one with practiced efficiency.

When he procured a bag of what looked like white paint, he paused. Akande shrugged off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, revealing a few intricate tattoos that Gabriel immediately recognized as sigils of protection. Akande then took off his shoes and socks, preparing himself for the ritual while he murmured barely audible prayers in another language.

When his mouth stopped, he took another deep breath and dipped his fingers into the white mixture, painting two thick lines across his face from cheek to cheek. He then took the same white paint and began to draw a large sigil of protection on the hardwood floor.

Gabriel didn’t dare ask whether that would wash off or not. He knew that Akande was here because of his family’s ties to Elena, and because the Ogundimu’s owed them a favor. He wasn’t about to ruin his one chance at ‘getting better’ by annoying the man who could save his life.

When he was young, he could remember Akande’s family visiting Elena for help in dealing with ailments of shifters. She had helped them many times over, winning over their respect and gratitude.

Gabriel was still slightly distrustful, recalling how the Ogundimu family would look to him when he was a young boy possessed with lechuza strength. Something about the shamans always left the youngest Solis grandson wary and distrustful of the powerful family that held no warmth or smiles. Akande in particular kept his distance from Gabriel and looked down on him as if he were a bug on the wall. He never interacted with the young shifter, unless it was to belittle him with a glare.

The cafe owner never forgot this, and staring at Akande now still left him feeling out of place and itchy under his skin to know he was being judged as 'less than' in Akande's eyes. After all, the Ogundimu's were good at seeing themselves at the top tier of all supernatural forces.

How Elena got Akande to come out had to be more than just a favor. Gabriel wondered, not for the first time, if there was something more the shaman was after. 

On the ground there were now two sigils- one for protection, and the other a devil’s trap.

“You will need to take off your shirt.” Akande instructed, gesturing to the ground. “Take off any metal adornments you may have on; they will burn you.” He looked over to the other family members gravely. “The entity will be angry when we force it out, and that is besides the _lechuza_ that we are also dealing with. I advise we use the utmost precaution.”

Gabriel slowly took off his belt, watch, shirt, and shoes, setting them to the ground. He wore nothing but his dark wash jeans while he laid himself back against the unforgiving ground. He pulled out his phone and slid it over to Jesse, who pocketed the device.

“Sure you don’t want me to record this?” Jessed offered, trying to lighten the mood.

Akande shook his head, unamused.

“Nah, rather you not have blackmail.” Gabriel swallowed back some of his fear and glanced to his family.

“You’ll be okay, _mijo_. Akande knows what he’s doing.” Cassandra spoke up, trying to offer come comfort for her eldest son.

The younger shifter nodded, taking in a deep soothing breath while Akande passed around woven reeds to Elena, Cassandra, and Jesse. He instructed them to wear it for protection from possession once the ritual began, and the three dutifully tied them loosely around their necks.

Akande frowned while he sat on the ground and went over his mental checklist before starting the ritual. He looked up to the others. “Now bring me the cat.”

Everyone paused.

“The _cat_?” Jesse questioned in surprise. “You’re not gonna…hurt him, right?”

The shaman raised a brow at the comment. One look had Jesse reddening in embarrassment.

“He’s hiding.” Gabriel spoke up, “He scurried back into my bedroom as soon as we got up here. He’s probably intimidated from us moving all of the furniture.”

“He will need a talisman to protect himself from harm as well. Unless you want a possessed cat?” Akande’s lip twitched in slight amusement.

“No, definitely don’t want any Pet Cemetery bullshit going on around here.” Jesse answered quickly.

“Go get the cat, Gabi.” Cassandra asked. “He’ll listen to you.”

The veteran grumbled and stood up from the ground to venture into the back room. Sure enough, Soldier had pushed himself to the very far back, underneath Gabriel’s bed. His eyes reflected back to Gabriel, frightened and nervous.

No amount of coaxing would soothe the cat to come out of his own accord, so Gabriel carefully grabbed the white cat by the scruff of his neck and pulled him out with mild difficulty while he apologized profusely to his feline friend. He usually kept Soldier’s claws trimmed neatly, but it didn’t stop the old cat from clawing into the ground.

Jesse had to assist Gabriel when Soldier proved to be just as stubborn, digging his claws into the carpet while he growled and hissed with annoyance.

“Stop being a baby.” Gabriel grumbled, wanting to get this whole ceremony over with already.

Once Soldier was out, he struggled to get away. It took Jesse’s help with wrapping the white cat into a blanket and the older man holding him like a delicate football to settle the skittish feline down.

“He’s pretty pissed off.” The café owner stated while he knelt down, holding the cat close while Cassandra began to tie a reed around his neck, weaving it along his collar so that it wouldn’t fall off.

Soldier’s ears were flat against his head, eyes glancing around the room until they met Akande’s. He then began to struggle more while the shaman frowned at the pet. He approached the cat and Soldier wriggled even more, meowling in agitation to get loose.

“That…is not a cat.” Akande’s eyes narrowed upon inspection of the feline. “I sensed it from downstairs, but I wanted to be sure. You must have a knack for inviting dark forces into your home, Gabriel.”

Gabriel blinked, concerned and bewildered by such a statement while he tried to keep his cat sane. “What do you mean he’s _not a cat_?”

Akande held out his hands and pressed them against the top of the old alley cat’s head. Soldier’s ears flattened even more, his small body shaking with fear while Akande pet him gently. He then lifted the cat’s chin and stared knowingly into the sentient blue eyes that gazed back. A sheen of white clouded Akande’s brown eyes, peering through the veil that separated the physical into the spiritual realm.

When his eyes came back into focus, his frown deepened.

He spoke to the cat, “You really upset the wrong witch, didn’t you?”

“Ha! I told you it wasn’t a cat, _mijo_!” Elena crossed her arms in triumph.

Gabriel was at a loss for words.

“So what is he, then?” Jesse asked while he exchanged a concerned, puzzled look with Gabriel.

“He is cursed.” Akande explained cryptically. “I cannot uncloud the spell around him with what resources I have available here. We would need to consult Ana Amari when it comes to witch’s hexes and curses. If I attempt to pull back the layers of his condition, I could worsen the binding or kill him.”

The cat didn’t try to pull away from Akande’s hold. Instead, Soldier looked down to the ground as if he were guilty of lying.

Akande pet along the cat’s head, “I couldn’t tell you more unless I undid some of the seams of the curse, but he has been this way for many years. I barely see anything other than feline in him anymore.”

“So…what is he? Is he a human?” Gabriel scowled, feeling somewhat betrayed. The shifter wasn’t sure if the truth settled well with him. He thought of everything he had shared with his companion, and felt unnerved by the idea of a cursed human living under his roof, in his bed.

“Yes, and no.” The shaman continued. “He is not all there, anymore. He is definitely more cat now. I do not sense anything dangerous from him, but we can never be too careful.”

It was Jesse who leaned down to carefully take the cat in his arms when Akande held out the limp, defeated pet. “He’s not a shifter?”

“No, from as far as I can tell, he is not.” Akande sighed. “Once we deal with Gabriel’s condition, we can seek out the Amari witch for her counsel. Witch spells are best left to other witches who practice the craft. She will be able to tell us more.”

“Well, howdy there, little man. Hope you don’t mind that we’ve been calling you Soldier.” Jesse greeted, rubbing underneath the cat’s chin. Soldier settled against Jesse’s chest, no longer avoiding the contact.

Gabriel swallowed thickly, feeling more stressed over the news and the implications that followed.

He wanted to pet his cat’s head to comfort the dejected looking feline, but he instead looked away while he sat back down on the ground and mentally prepared himself for the ritual.

Akande cleared his throat patiently, “We will explore it further, but first…your needs are more pressing. There’s nothing to be done for the cat at this moment. Lay down over the protection sigil and let’s get started.”

There was obvious apprehension in the owl shifter while he laid down flat on the ground, keeping his eyes to the ceiling while his mother and grandmother began to light the candles closest to them. Jesse lit sage from the corner, leaving it to burn unhurriedly on a ceramic plate.

As for Soldier, the cat tried to wedge himself underneath the couch where he could watch the proceedings without being out in the open, but Jesse made quick work of grabbing him and holding him firmly in his big arms.

Akande was quiet while he took out the white paint and drew an opening sigil against Gabriel’s bare chest, ignoring the large owl tattoo while he did so. The sigil would allow him to access Gabriel’s spirit and anything else that was housed within his form or tied to him.

The shaman then tied pieces of old rope smelling of foul oil around Gabriel’s wrists and ankles. The veteran looked nervously to the knots, throat tight with fear.

“I will be binding you in this position to avoid harm to others and yourself throughout the process. This will not be easy or painless for you, and I will need you still for it. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Gabriel swallowed, his teeth grit tightly together. He was used to pain; had become a close companion to it throughout his life. However, the guarantee of it from Akande set his nerves scattered.

Elena, Cassandra, and Jesse were instructed to sit across the room to observe with a ring of salt wrapped around them to protect them from whatever dark forces would resurface.

This time, Soldier didn’t struggle to get away while Jesse pet his head reassuringly.

“This will test your limits.” The shaman stated with finality while he kneeled next to the shifter’s vulnerable form. “Do not fight against it.”

Gabriel nodded, accepting his fate no matter how much he wanted to run away and escape this hell.

There was no looking back now.

Akande pressed a hand to Gabriel’s heart, located exactly in the middle of the sigil. Immediately, the shifter’s limbs pressed down against the floor, binding him tightly to his current position. The lights in the house flickered before going out completely, casting the home in candlelight where the flames remained unaffected from the energy filling the room.

It was quiet for a few moments, the veteran’s eyes growing heavy until falling shut completely. He was at the mercy of the skilled shaman’s hands, mind and heart revealing all that was in the shadows and barred away. Gabriel’s mind grew into a foggy haze, dissociating with reality while his memories began to replay in rapid succession for Akande to see.

Here, there was no escaping. All of the shifter’s insecurities and fears were open for Akande to view and judge while Gabriel’s eyes fluttered, jaw shaking.

The shaman’s senses filled with the smell of gun smoke and sand; the feeling of blood on one’s hands and the sounds of screaming war. He could see the dark form Gabriel took in the sky when his unit infiltrated and killed their enemies. Could feel the power of the veteran’s family odl curse drawing strength from the bloodshed.

He felt the nightmares bubbling over like dirtied water in an old sink. It gushed and oozed, festering into a habitable home for another force that sought after the pain of Gabriel’s memories.

There were a few nearly breathless minutes, until Akande opened his clouded eyes and looked across the room. The shaman’s eyes were misted over in white while he saw past the veil of the two worlds to see into the supernatural realm. He followed the trail of blackened water to the parasite that had been bathing in this agony for so long.

In the hallway stood the darkened entity with red eyes that had been haunting Gabriel’s sleep for months now. It had been feeding off his old memories and exploiting the shifter’s deepest fears in order to strengthen its existence. It barred it’s long white teeth in challenge towards the shaman, gangly inhuman limbs spreading forth from its back with crooked claws intent to kill.

It opened its mouth wide, ready to attack.

Had it been a lesser shaman carrying through the ritual, they would’ve surely had trouble containing the dark force.   

Akande was calm while he stared the nightmare demon down, outstretching a hand towards the creatures and willing it to stay immobile in the air. The family looked on, unable to see the creature until wisps of smoke began to gather in the hall as the creature struggled against the shaman’s power.

Soldier began to hiss at the wraith-like being.

“A nightmare demon- a Mare has found its way into the home.” Akande spoke, his voice twisting deep and powerful. It made the hairs on Jesse’s neck stand on end while the shaman pressed on. “It is no longer welcome to expose and feast upon Gabriel’s nightmares.”

Akande twisted his large hand, as if snapping the nightmare demon’s neck. The creature fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, screeching so loud that the pictures on the wall rattled. As the shaman’s large hand began to close, the creature began to shrink smaller and smaller, its skin oozing out black smoke, compressing until he pulled his hand back, bringing the remains of the Mare to him.

The dark energy that made up the nightmare demon hovered over a silver box. The remains bubbled and tried to push free from the constraints, but the shaman was too powerful to be pushed over. With a strong downward motion, he pressed the spirit into the silver prison.

“It is not dead. I will need to bind it and have Gabriel burn it after the ritual. We have a long ways to deal with it properly.” Akande stated, closing the box besides him and pressing the lock with his thumb, forming a seal with a white thumbprint. His ghost-like eyes then peered down at Gabriel with clearer focus. “I’m going to open the mark on his soul now and expose the lechuza.”

Elena put her arms around her daughter, holding her close while they looked on helplessly.

“We’re ready.” Jesse answered for them.

The shaman didn’t need further confirmation. His hands rose over Gabriel’s body and willed the parasite tied to his soul to show itself. The skilled healer had read up on as many texts as he could about lechuzas beforehand, understanding the enemy to the smallest detail. They were rare in the world, and the documentation of their existence was scarce, but Akande was commanding and confident that he could help cleanse some of its control from the shifter’s soul.

Peeling back the layers of Gabriel’s soul, the energy that began to come forth caused the candles’ flames to flicker and rise while a deep hum emanated from the shaman’s throat. It made the hairs on the back of Jesse’s neck stand on end while he observed the light smoke that began to rise from his mentor’s skin.

Gabriel struggled against the intrusion, teeth gritting while he groaned in pain. Akande wasn’t put off by the response and only searched more aggressively, his eyes a steadfast focus into the light that Gabriel’s family couldn’t see past.

Time seeped by, and the family grew increasingly worried while Gabriel struggled more violently against the bonds. His body shook erratically, eyes open and unseeing towards the ceiling.

“He has made the lechuza strong with the souls he has devoured.” Akande spoke up, eyes still gazing into the now black smoke that curdled and rose from the young shifter’s chest. There was a faint glow, muffled by the darkness of the lechuza’s power source. “I can unbind the souls from him, but the lechuza will be angered and he will go through withdrawals without the power.”

“Do what must be done.” Elena spoke up.

“I will have to. If I do not, he will grow mad. He has been deteriorating for some time. There is a reaper that hangs over him, manifesting itself with the mare while it awaits to collect the souls the lechuza has hoarded.” Akande explained. He looked up, across the room where his eyes could take in the darkened form in the corner that waited patiently for its payment. “He has fed this demon for long enough.”

Gabriel seized roughly, crying out into the room while the shaman began to undo the tight weave of innocent souls tethered to his form.

“For long enough, you’ve allowed this lechuza to grow in strength, crippling your form.” Akande mussed. The candles flickered violently, the pictures on the walls shaking. Glassware shattered in the kitchen while it fell out of the cabinets.

The room seemed to spin and distort while Akande ripped away and freed the souls from the lechuza’s hold. The shifter’s skin prickled and visibly struggled to change between human skin and bird flesh. Black ooze trickled from the sides of Gabriel’s mouth while he coughed, purging the darkness from his system.

For so long, the owl demon was able to fester and grow, taking over Gabriel’s life. Akande continued without pause or delay despite how much pain the veteran was in.

All the family could do was look on in terror and pray that Gabriel made it out alive unscathed.

*

*

*

Jack had seen many exorcisms before.

He had witnessed all different forms of dark entities and manifestations get forced from their vessel, in many altered ways. Fractured pieces of a past life echoed in his head, reminding him that he was more than just a cursed cat. He wondered if he had performed exorcism like this in his human life with the way his paws seemed to twitch and ache to help Gabriel.

Jack knew that by the end of this, Gabriel would be weak and vulnerable for days until he could gain enough strength to properly shift again.

The cursed human could see it; was able to peer through the veil with his feline senses between the living and the supernatural to behold what Akande saw. With his enhanced eyes, he could take in the dispersion of souls that whipped around the room, trying to find escape from the demon lechuza that had held them prisoner for so long.

It left Jack’s heart heavy to see so many spirits that had weighed on Gabriel’s conscience and soul. Jack knew Gabriel’s nightmares of his time overseas left him haunted and closed off. With his family’s curse running through his veins, it only made his burden greater.

Jack knew of the nights Gabriel lay awake, too exhausted and fatigued to sleep peacefully. Witnessed how Gabriel would bake to tune out the world, watch cooking shows, clean the whole apartment and café as a way of avoiding the nightmares, or simply pace around the house while his hands rubbed at his neck, his head, and his chest with anxious energy.

To see his human, his owner, his _friend_ in so much pain unnerved Jack.

Usually he could offer Gabriel some kind of comfort.

A head bump to his leg, a rumbling purr against his chest, a soft coat to pet. Jack wanted to take care of Gabriel, and that revelation rocked him to his core.

He looked on with perceptive eyes while the outline of a black barn owl with red eyes rose over Gabriel, towering over Akande threateningly. The smell of sulfur and blood filled the room, but the shaman would not back down. He had no fear while his mouth continued to utter words in another language, and his eyes faced the cursed monster without a twitch of fear.

The cursed human recoiled against Jessed, pressing himself back against the werewolf’s chest until Jesse got the hint and held the small feline against him.

Jack could see what they couldn’t; the demon that would never leave Gabriel’s soul.

The weight his family line had passed on to him.

He watched Gabriel’s skin change into black prickled flesh that began to grow outlines of pure white feathers from the force of the energy exerted.

The cursed human could clearly hear the sharp cracking and popping of bones as Gabriel began to shift after so long of avoiding his true nature. His body was struggling with it; pushing to finishing his shifting while also behind held back into his human form.

In the corner of the room sat the outline of a familiar reaper. They were a common enough sight to see with feline eyes, and most of the time they provided no harm to humans unless they were there to provide safe passage from this reality to the next. It slowly gathered the souls, keepings its distance from the powerful shaman.

Akande sat beside the shifter, a lighthouse in the storm of dark energy, unmoving save for his lips that mouthed the words of ancient spells to cure Gabriel of his afflictions.

Gabriel let out one long last cry, before crumpling back to the ground in a boneless, human heap. The shaman pressed his hand over the sigil on Gabriel’s chest, closing the seal as he smeared the paint and distorted the image.

The shifter did not complete the change into his owl form.

*

*

*

After the ritual, Akande stood up and broke the salt ring surrounding the Reyes family, signaling that it was safe to move about the house again.

“He will need rest and treatment for three days. After that, I will force him to shift and ensure that his mind stay intact.” The shaman explained. There was the slightest hint of exhaustion in his voice, his muscles sore from the physical and spiritual exertion of his powers. He walked stiffly about the room, but made no verbal confirmation of his discomfort.

Not for the first time, Jesse wondered how many rituals Akande had presided over. He knew it had to take a very taxing toll on the human body.

Elena made work of blowing out the candles while Jesse helped to lift Gabriel up from the ground, holding him bridal style while Akande led them back into the bedroom. Gabriel was laid out on the bed where Cassandra made quick work to run a warm washcloth against his sweat-soaked skin. He was cold to the touch, body shivering.

“After three days, Gabriel will need to finish the rite by shifting successfully. In the meantime, I have prepared herbs for him to eat and drink to cleanse his body from the lechuza’s poison. As for the nightmare demon, we will dispose of it tomorrow. I’ll set out the correct sigils to ensure he sleeps without interruption.” Akande placed a wrapped reed under the shifter’s bed to ward off any malevolent spirits.

“Is there anything else that you need from us?” Jesse asked. “Maybe I could offer you a cup of joe and some pastries downstairs?”

“I need to quiet my mind and analyze what I have collected. There isn’t much known on lechuzas, and I’ll need to report my findings to my clan.” Akande replied, folding his arms while he watched Soldier jump up on the bed and lay beside his owner’s head protectively. “I will contact Ana to see when she is back from her travels. She will need to deal with the cat.”

“Is it all right for Soldier to be around my son?” Cassandra eyed the old feline suspiciously.

Akande hummed in consideration. “If anything, he has probably helped keep the Mare away. Demons do not like cats, thus they serve as excellent protectors. Perhaps this creature has been protecting Gabriel from his mind deteriorating further.”

It was a relief for Jesse to hear that the smallest cafe employee wasn’t harming anyone, especially knowing he had been the one to suggest a pet since Gabriel had moved north. He reached out and pet Soldier’s soft head while the cat purred consolingly beside the unconscious shifter.

“He’s a good cat. If he’s truly cursed, then maybe we can help him out? I couldn’t imagine being stuck in one form.” Jesse said, his eyes softening. “It’s the least we can do, right?”

“We will see what Ana says. There may not be hope for him if the curse is too powerful. In the meantime, I do not sense any danger in his presence. He may remain by Gabriel’s side while he sleeps.”

Cassandra carefully changed her son into warmer clothing while Jesse and Akande moved out of the room. She made sure he was warm and comfortable while she covered him in thick blankets and made sure he was tucked in. She kissed her son’s forehead with worry.

Elena brought her a chair and set it at Gabriel’s bedside. Cassandra sunk into it immediately, her focus singular in the well-being of her child.

“How long will he be out of it?” Jesse asked, glancing back to his family with unease.

“It’s hard to say. His mind needs to rest and repair itself.” Akande made his way towards the front door, picking up his briefcase along the way. “If you have concerns, Elena knows how to reach me. I will be back in a few hours’ time to check on his condition.”

Jesse stopped him with a hand on his shoulder before he could slip out the door. He looked earnestly to the older man. “Thank you. From all of us.”

Akande nodded, devoid of softness in his eyes. The man seemed always geared up to take on the dark forces in the world at a moment’s notice; always guarded and closed off. “Next time, do not allow Gabriel to be so bullheaded as to wait this long. He would’ve succumbed to the fate of madness had I not arrived on time.”

Jesse swallowed thickly. “Of course.”

Akande turned and left.

*

Gabriel woke up blearily to the sound of men’s voices in the other room.

His head was throbbing in pain with a crippling migraine, his eyes heavy and sensitive to the small slivers of light coming from the hallway. He wanted to go back to sleep, but his stomach rumbled with hunger pains, causing him to wonder how long he’d been out of it. Everything hurt; from the very center of his bones, to the outline of his skin. 

He groaned while the world came more and more into focus.

The voices in the hallway stopped, followed by heavy footsteps and a warm hand against his forehead, checking for fever. Gabriel was familiar with the rough, calloused hands, and relaxed immediately into the touch.

“Welcome back, _mijo_. How do you feel?” Gabriel’s father, Romero, asked. Romero’s graying hair and slightly scarred face was a welcome sight, helping to ground Gabriel into a better sense of comfort. Throughout the shifter’s life, his father had always been a steady force in his struggle with his powers. Even when the lechuza possessed him as a young boy, Romero never thought differently of his son or shied away from the implications of his child’s curse.  

“Feel like shit.” Gabriel grumbled hoarsely.

“Y’look it, too.” Jesse snorted from the doorway.

“You’ve been sleeping for almost a day.” Romero explained gently. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here. Since I’m not an owl shifter, your _abuela_ was worried that I could make things more complicated with my presence. You know how she gets about these things and I didn’t want to risk any hitches.”

Romero was sensitive to supernatural beings and had been a powerful hunter when he was a young man. Now, he still worked with his wife to help supernatural youth find homes and guidance. He had given up most of his hunting ventures after he had met Cassandra and settled down with her, but there were still times when he was called in to assist in complex situations, especially when shifters were involved. Elena worried that the lechuza would be able to recognize Romero as a hunter and would’ve been provoked to attack him.

Akande had agreed that the father’s presence wasn’t needed. It left the ex-hunter worried sick while he paced around the old Solis farmhouse, smoking a whole pack of cigarettes to quell his nerves.

Gabriel could still smell the heavy scent of cloves on his father’s hands. It brought him comfort, knowing his dad still had the same habit when he was sick with worry.

“Sorry you missed the show.” Gabriel whispered with a slight snicker.

Jesse cleared his throat, averting their attention to a mug of what looked like warm tea. “Speaking of, _abuela_ said you need to drink this. Doctor’s orders.”

The tea smelled bitter and foul, but the veteran wasn’t about to argue after the whole ordeal he had just been through. He shifted upwards on the bed and took the mug with only slight recoil. Closing his nose, he downed the warm drink as quickly as he could, even though the intense need to vomit it all up swirled thick in his stomach. His migraine pounded while he clenched his eyes closed.

Romero steadied his son’s shaking hands and rubbed his back when the final drop was gone.

Gabriel gagged.

“She said you’d do that.” Jesse took the empty mug and inspected the contents, making sure they were all gone. “It’s some foul shit, but Akande said you needed it to cleanse your body.”

“Tasted like swamp water.”

“Probably is something close to that.” The werewolf smiled. “Either way, you have a few days of this until you can shift. Ma is mighty excited to fly with you again.”

Gabriel groaned, laying back on the bed.

Romero pat his shoulder. “She’s been up for a long time worrying over you. She finally fell asleep on the couch when your _abuela_ made her lay down."

“I’ll let _abuela_ know you drank the juice.” Jesse wiggled the cup. “She’s downstairs running the café with Lena and Genji, so you don’t need to worry about the shop. I’ll head down there during the lunch hour to pitch in, too.”

“As will I.” Romero promised. “Sleep, _mijo_. You’re still very pale.”

It did bring a calm sense of relief to know that his family was there to help him and make sure the café stayed running. With this knowledge, Gabriel closed his eyes.

“I feel like I got hit by a dumpster truck.” Gabriel replied. “Did Akande get rid of the lechuza?”

“Not entirely.” Jesse spoke up. “It’s forever binding, but he did lock it up and piss it off inside of you. Guess we’ll know more at the next full moon.”

“That’s in two days.” Romero supplied. “Until then, _sleep_.” The eldest Reyes looked over to his youngest adoptive son. “And _you_ should be heading down soon, Jes. It’s almost noon. I’ll stay up here and look after Gabi.”

Jesse conceded, “Will do. Text me if anything changes.”

“Just turn off all the lights.” Gabriel growled from his cocoon of blankets. “And go check on Soldier.” It didn’t go without the veteran’s notice that his fluffy sidekick wasn’t sleeping above his head like he usually did.

“Will do, boss.” Jesse saluted. He gave a pat to Romero’s shoulder before making sure the curtains were fully closed, blocking out the sunlight from the bedroom.

Not soon after, Gabriel fell back to sleep.

His father remained at his side.

*

*

*

Jack knew it was cowardly of him, but he decided to hide under the couch while he reflected on his encounter with the shaman and the knowledge that Gabriel and his family knew that he wasn’t an ordinary, run of the mill house cat.

Now that Jack’s condition was out in the open, he felt unnerved and slightly panicked on what to do next. Every time Akande had glanced to him knowingly, he felt his muscles tighten with anxiety. Even when the shaman left, his knowing look was enough to worry Jack to the point that he refused to eat his wet cat food when Jesse tried to coax him towards it.

Witches were never a good sign, and if the Amari witch didn’t have enough power to counteract the curse flowing through Jack’s veins, she could do more harm than good.

If the Mare was gone and the lechuza quelled enough to allow Gabriel to shift, then Jack didn’t want to propel his bad luck on the shifter. He knew that with what his curse entailed, something bad would happen eventually.

It always did.

Jack’s past owners always befell bad luck, in many ways, shapes, and forms. It was primarily why Jack preferred to be alone as a stray. No matter how much he craved to be a small protector in another person’s life, he knew that eventually, things would go downhill because of him. It was a terrible curse to have the need to protect and desire love, but to be denied of it all.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he saw a blurred face with glowing eyes- one red, one blue. Glimpses of purple and gold swirled in his head while a voice laughed and rattled through his soul.

_The witch._

She had cursed him to bring harm to others, breaking his code as a hunter to protect the innocent.

Now, he was one of the things he used to kill to protect the defenseless.

Jack worried that he had made Gabriel’s condition worse. What if Gabriel couldn’t shift successfully because of _him_ and his curse that brought bad fortune?

What if he was bringing bad health to the café owner?

Things were going far too smoothly and Jack’s concerned care for Gabriel was growing too deep. He knew something would give out soon; a snap of the thread of luck to topple over the whole tower.

With the promise that Ana Amari was also coming to ‘cure’ him, he knew the stakes were too high. One wrong move and Ana could make things irrevocably worse.

With a heavy heart, Jack waited.

He checked on Gabriel when he could, but took the opportunity to venture downstairs into the café. When Genji spotted him coming in through the pet door, he made sure to put on Jack’s ‘special uniform’; a lightweight cat shirt with the café logo on the back so that they could easily spot his whereabouts.

Jack wondered if this was a bad idea, but he knew this was his only chance to escape when rush hour came.

Thus, he bided his time.

He lounged on the cat tree near the bookcase in the back, seeming harmless while a few café customers came by to take pictures of him and provide him with loving head pats. He accepted the affection, even though his heart was already sick with dread knowing he’d be trying to flee.

When lunch hour came, he slowly made his way towards the bottom of the cat perch. There was a long line forming at the register while the employees rushed around making drinks and sandwiches.

It wasn’t until he saw a family with young kids that he saw his opportunity.

He slunk along the baseboards towards the door, crawling low. He hurried his steps when he noticed a little girl, no older than 7, trying to close her umbrella while she kept the door propped open.

He felt guilty for taking advantage of such a chance, but he knew it needed to be done in order to keep Gabriel safe from the ramifications of his curse

While the child struggled to close her umbrella, Jack carefully snuck out the door. He heard a loud “KITTY!” from the little girl’s siblings, causing the parents to yelp in surprise while he rushed down the sidewalk.

The rain hit him immediately with its unwelcome cold, but he couldn’t look back now.

The cursed human ran down the street as fast as he could and darted into the nearest neighbor’s yard. He used all of his strength to traverse out of Gabriel’s space by exerting all of his speed and energy into creating distance between himself and the one person he truly cared about.

Behind him, he could hear frantic yelling. Jesse was shouting from the top of his lungs while heavy boots tried to chase after him.

The rain began to pummel harder from the clouds, but the cursed human wouldn’t turn back.

His heart hammered heavy and sick in his chest while he apologized over and over in his head.

_I’m so sorry, Gabriel._

_I’m sorry._

He wasn’t sure where he was running to, or for how long he could keep up his energy, but he knew he needed to keep Gabriel safe.

Every few minutes he stopped and warred with himself not to go back and meow at the door, asking for forgiveness for leaving. However, the witch’s laugh echoing in the far reaches of his broken memories spurred him onward.

Although he was a disgraced hunter, he would continue to live by the code.

A man’s voice ( _His father’s? A brother’s?)_ swirled in his head: “Do no harm to the innocent.”

Gabriel had his family and seemingly, his life back.

Jack wouldn’t interfere in that happiness.

After all, he was nothing more than a cat.   

  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we’re almost to the halfway mark in terms of storyline! :D I did mark the story as 8 chapters, but it might be more? Depends on how long each chapter is and what I’m able to cover. n__n;;  
> Also, Jack will be okay! :D I promise!
> 
> Thank you to the lovely ohappyfair for beta-ing this for me. I always appreciate your help! <3
> 
> Come say hello~  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I wake to a Darkness in which I must follow myself endlessly, hating the I who so eternally pursues and confronts me. If we could rise from our misery, seek each other once more, and find again the solace of each other's lips and eyes." -Lowry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for: Very brief mention of suicide contemplation. There are discussions of witchcraft, curses, and transformations. Also, slight dubious consent to a situation. (non-sexual, sorry!)

 

**6.**

The evening was proving its famed Washington weather while the clouds rolled in heavy, bringing with it the torrential rains that stripped old foliage and made way for new growth.

The sound of thick rain drops against the roof and windows brought comfort to Gabriel, who was only feeling partially better after the great ordeal he had survived through. Knowing his family was there and that the shop was well taken care of allowed him to give in to the exhaustion that had rooted itself deep in his bones.

He slept for hours.

His stomach still churned uncomfortably in the moments he was awake enough to realize his father was wiping sweat from his brow, or his mother was there with the nasty detox drink his grandma and Akande insisted on. He begrudgingly drank it, no matter how much it tasted like an old compost heap. Each drink of the tea left him more tired while his body processed it and struggled to cleanse itself of the residual evil that had been feeding off him for years.

The lechuza wasn’t wiped from his body completely, but it had been bound and sealed from doing further harm while the shaman looked into the next steps to keep it at bay. Gabriel’s soul would be tied to the entity for the rest of his life, but now it didn’t have to be a death sentence to eventual madness. If he could learn to live in a sort of harmony with the spirit, he could at least live a more fulfilled, normal life.

It was with that hope that Gabriel bore the after effects of delusion and pain from the ritual. He had thrown up enough bile and gunk over the side of his bed, that he wondered how his body was even able to produce it. He sweat out the toxins, eyelids fluttering closed every time a severe migraine wracked his body and left him shuddering without words or direction.

Gabriel was stumbling through the dark road to recovery, and each step brought him closer to feeling more like himself than he had in years. It reminded him of when he first became sober; all the nights of sweating out the deep desire to drown his demons in liquor. The nights where his family locked him in the house to keep sure he wouldn’t give into the addiction that had been his close friend after his leave from military life.

Months ago, he used to get blackout drunk at night to keep from the terrors lurking in his memories. Deprived of sleep and a break from the alcohol, Gabriel had felt it was the closest to death he had ever ventured.

More than the hot sands of the Middle East.

More than the looming threat of a bullet to the head to make it stop.

Now, it felt akin to reliving the process of shouldering the demons from his back and crawling towards sobriety all over again. This time, it was freeing his body of the monsters that had kept him from being a true shifter; from giving into what had always been natural and necessary for his body to do.

Sometimes, the tea made his skin ripple with bird flesh while his body kept trying to decide whether it was strong enough to shift or stay human.

Without the help of the full moon, it would be difficult to get over the last push. He just had to wait a few more days of the sweating and pain to get to his final goal.

He just wanted to feel the cold night’s wind against his wings again.

He wanted to be free.

*

By the next morning, the fever seemed to break and the migraine receded to a dull throb in the back of Gabriel’s head. The shifter was still fatigued and wanted to sleep, but he had been urged to use the restroom and to rinse off the sweat from his body with a hot shower.

He felt like a sick child again while his father carefully helped him from the bed to walk him to the restroom, his arm slung over his shoulder in support. Gabriel wanted to feel embarrassed, but relief was a greater emotion when he eventually undressed from the sweat-stained clothing and got under the hot shower’s spray.

Romero waited for his son outside the door, busying himself with changing the bedsheets and laying fresh sheets and blankets down.

Under the heat of the water, Gabriel rested his head against the tile and welcomed the comfort of nearly searing heat to soothe his joints and the ache of his muscles. He spent more time than what he actually needed in the shower, until his dad called to him that it’d been ten minutes.

The shifter reluctantly ended his shower and toweled off. He found a fresh pair of clothing folded for him on the bathroom counter and dressed carefully, still feeling weak and hungrier than he could ever remember being.

Once finished, he followed the smell of fresh coffee in the living room.

“You might what to sit down.” Romero indicated Gabe’s attention to the couch, which had been set up for his arrival with a pillow and a freshly washed blanket.

“Are you going to make breakfast?” Gabriel asked.

“Just an omelet. You’ll have to eat it and drink the tea with it. Elena’s orders.”

Gabriel shuddered in disgust.

“I’ll put extra cheese in yours. Hopefully it’ll help. No sriracha, though.”

The shifter looked up to the clock, noting it was a little past nine in the morning. He figured everyone else was either downstairs at the café, or running errands. He pulled his beanie off of the coffee table and secured it on his head, shielding out the cold despite the heater being on for the first time in the season.

It was still heavy with rain outside.

“Where’s Soldier?” Gabriel asked. He had been surprised that his cat hadn’t been beside him when he woke up, or followed him into the bathroom to play with the shower door like he usually tended to do.

Romero inhaled deeply, wishing he could put off the discussion. “About that…”

The shifter didn’t miss the troubled look on his father’s face.

“Dad?” Gabe frowned. “ _Where’_ s my cat?”

Romero turned off the stove and approached his son with a mug of hot tea. He set it on the coffee table before putting his hands on his hips, face tight. It was the look Gabriel associated with bad news. The shifter straightened, his heart picking up pace.

“Soldier got out through the front door of the café.” Romero explained gently. “Jesse went out looking for him, but we couldn’t find him. With the rain, he hasn’t been able to track him.”

Gabriel felt his eyes sting with anguish. He thought about Soldier shying away from his family, especially from Akande when the shaman stated they would bring a witch in to reverse his curse. It must’ve triggered the fear, because why else would Soldier run when he did?

“He left because we scared him away. He’s afraid of Ana.”

“Probably.” Romero agreed. “However, we’ve already put calls into all the local vets and animal shelters. They’re on the lookout for him and said they’d call us if they found him.”

“I need to look for him. He’ll come to me if I go out there. I know he will.”

Gabriel’s father put a hand on his shoulder, keeping him steady in his seat. “You’re too weak, yet. Besides, the rains won’t let up until tomorrow. The best we can do is get the word out there. Jesse has already been driving around town to try and find him, and your friend Genji put up a few posters and posted it on the café’s social media sites. Someone will recognize him.”

It was a small relief to know there were people actively looking for his small companion, but he still felt overly sick with worry.

He wanted nothing more than to get out of his house and look for the feline himself. Soldier had become an important role in his life as his friend and partner, and to know he had scared him away left him feeling all the more guilty.

Gabriel tried to leave the house on multiple occasions, but his body was too weak and head still too dizzy when he walked to manage more than a few steps.

Feeling nearly useless in the situation, Gabriel pulled out his phone and began posting missing ads through different social media networks.

The more they got the word out there, the better.

Once he was well enough to search on his own, he would.

The shifter wiped the hot tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

*

*

*

Jack was wet and miserable.

He had to admit that he hadn’t thought his plan all the way through, but he wasn’t sure if he could wait much longer given Akande’s presence and the threat of a witch coming to pay him a visit.

From what knowledge he could piece together as a hunter, he had calculated early on that witches were a dangerous source to consult, especially when he didn’t know what coven they were associated with. There were certainly good witches in the world that could possibly help him, but the one who had cursed him had been nothing but dark, forbidden magic.

The witch with one red eye, and one blue, had been a powerful, top tier caster who no doubt had many ties to other witches. If Jack were to go to the wrong witch, they could worsen the spell, or capture him and return him to her.

Or they could hurt Gabriel for sheltering him.

He couldn’t live with himself at the thought of Gabriel being punished for unknowingly housing a runaway soul.

The rain was unyieldingly cold, and his fur was practically soaked by the time he found refuge underneath a shed’s overhang in a backyard garden.  He had run down an old road, further out of town than he originally intended. He would’ve gone further, but he knew better than to risk his safety. As much as Jack wanted to venture into the forest, he didn’t want to become an easy meal for much larger predators.

There was only so much a scrawny cat could do.

Thus he bided his time, tucking his feet underneath his body for warmth while he waited out the storm. He felt secure knowing that the rain was washing away the trail of his scent, keeping Jesse’s wolfish nose at bay.

He eventually dozed off, exhausted from his burst of energy, his cat instincts pulling him down into an inevitable snooze to regain energy. He would have to forage for food soon, whether it was a mouse or some insects in the wooded garden. He could smell other cats around, but none of them posed a risk or paid him any mind while he slept by the shed.

With the rain as a steady background noise, the cursed human gave into his exhaustion.

*

Jack woke up a few hours later to a large orange tabby cat sitting across from him, staring him down intently while he blinked awake. The tabby lazily regarded him with interest, head tilted up to catch his scent.

When it came to being surrounded by regular cats, most kept their distance or sniffed him repeatedly in confusion. Jack knew he had mastered the cat mannerisms needed to pass as a stray, but normal cats could smell something was off about him.

Sometimes this resulted in cats avoiding him.

Other times, in fights.

He kept his body relaxed and slowly blinked his eyes, hoping to communicate that he was no threat to the tabby. The other cat rolled onto its side, inched forward, and tapped a paw against his nose.

“ _Guess I’m in_.” Jack thought, taking the cue to also lie on his side and show he wasn’t aggressive. After all, he was probably in this cat’s territory.

He and the tabby lay on their sides, soaking in the early morning sun. Jack had fallen asleep for a lot longer than he had intended, but it felt good to feel the moisture leave his fur and the warmth slowly seep into his body.

Jack’s stomach rumbled uncomfortably.

“ _Wonder if there’s food around here_.” Jack slowly stretched and stood up, walking past the orange tabby to explore more of the intricate garden and trees that surrounded the large backyard. Jack could only assume that there must’ve been a cat dish around there somewhere with kibbles he could gnaw on before he made his next leg of the journey down the tree-lined dirt road.

Jack enjoyed the smells of the garden and quickly picked up that there were other cats on the property besides him and the tabby. He spotted a black and white cat in a tree, watching him guardedly, as well as a fluffy white female who growled in warning for him to not approach.

He kept his distance, body slinking low when he found his objective; a dish of dry cat food left out on the porch.

Carefully, he sniffed the air and approached the back porch, keeping his senses open to any humans lurking about. He ate at the dry, somewhat tasteless kibble with fervor. His body rumbled in satisfaction while he gulfed down the food, getting lost in the feel-good reward of obtaining it.

He almost missed the slight movement behind him, coming from the side of the house.

Jack froze up, eyes wide when he noticed the woman leaning against a garden hoe while she observed him.

“You’re a handsome little guy, aren’t you?” The women chuckled, her brown eyes filled with amusement.

Jack didn’t let his guard down while he backed away carefully, eyeing her form and the garden accessory propped against the ground warily. He tried to put a name to her scent, but it didn’t smell wholly human. She was something else; something he hadn’t scented before.  

She smelled vaguely human, but the overwhelming aroma of tree-sap and wet bark permeated around her. She smelled old and of the earth, even though she was obviously in her early to mid-20s. She was wearing a tank top and sweatpants with old dirtied gloves. It looked as if she was doing some planting in the side yard, causing Jack to wonder how long she had escaped his notice.

“It’s all right, you’re safe. My home has kind of turned into a cat sanctuary.” The woman with the auburn colored hair winked, chuckling.

Jack glared at her, suspicious. Most supernatural beings stayed away from cats, but there were still some that were dangerous. He hoped she wasn’t a troll, trying to lure him in. However, if she were a troll, she would have a strong scent of foul body odor and definitely no cats around.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I’m a huldra.” The woman pointed back to the long cow tail swaying behind her steadily. “We happen to welcome nature in our homes, and I enjoy the company. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need. It’s not often that I get cursed humans around here that look like a feline.”

Jack knew very little about huldras, other than that they were bad news for young men who strayed too far off the path in forests, looking for wives to take. Of course, that was merely old legend. Actual supernaturals were often times more sophisticated than what folklore used to portray them as. Scared humans trying to reason why anything different from them was considered dangerous.

Jack could understand that.

The huldra continued back into the side yard, pulling up the dirt to make room to plant a few small saplings still sitting out in their original planter box.

Jack walked down the porch to watch her curiously.

She smiled in relief when she noticed the scarred cat. “You’re probably wondering how I realized you’re not a normal cat.” She began conversationally. “As a huldra, our magick is linked deep in the earth; as deep as the oldest trees. We don’t take too kindly to witches dabbling in the dark arts, especially ones who change the rhythms of what nature intended. You’re supposed to be human, but yet-“ She glanced up to him sympathetically. “You’ve been this way a long time, haven’t you?”

The old white cat sat down, listening intently. He nodded, giving in to showing some of the human mannerisms that still remained.

“I’m sorry I can’t reverse your spell. My magick is more aligned with the health of the earth around me.” The huldra carefully began planting the saplings, covering them expertly with thick soil. “My name is Brigitte. I’ve been living here for some time now. The quiet allows me to focus on keeping this forest in good shape.”

Jack relaxed, sensing no danger from the huldra. He could recall that their kind were vegetarian; feeding off the earth and dispersing light magick. They were solitary creatures, afraid of any outsiders who might try to come and tame them or take them as wives due to their beauty. Brigitte wiped the sweat from her brow, smearing some dirt along her freckled skin.

“I can’t offer you much, other than some shelter and fresh food. Though you’ll have to share with my other residents. I can’t be showing favoritism.”

The orange tabby trotted over to its owner, rubbing its cheek against her leg.

Jack got the message clearly; the _huldra_ belonged to the _cat_.

With nothing else to do, the cursed human followed Brigitte around the gardens while she checked on the well-being of her plants and trees, and began to garden from the large vegetable patch she had cultivated on the other side of her home. She unearthed potatoes, radishes, and carrots from the ground, while also collecting a few ears of corn and some eggplants. She told Jack about her family; her father, who had crafted her from wood hundreds of years ago, and of her mother, who breathed life in her to serve the earth.

The ex-hunter listened to her intently. Although he wished he could speak back to her, it felt good to be spoken to as if he were a human again.

It helped him almost forget about his beloved shape shifter who was no doubt looking for him back in town.

Jack couldn’t wipe the guilt of his departure from weighing on his shoulders, no matter how much he tried to focus on Brigitte’s words or the serenity of the garden.

He missed his shape-shifter.

*

*

*

Gabriel was still frustrated with his family for them not telling him immediately when Soldier went missing.

He understood that they wanted to search for the cat first while he focused on recovering and regaining his strength, but Soldier was his closest companion and he’d be damned if he left him out on the streets.

Cursed or not, Soldier had been a good friend and had warded off the Mare for so long, protecting him. He wanted to repay that kindness and find a cure for the feline, even if it meant capturing him again.

Gabriel had been barely able to rest during the day, heart sick with worry. His mother had reassured him that cats had excellent survival skills, and that it seemed Soldier had lived as a stray for seemingly a long time before being adopted. He would know how to survive.

It brought little comfort to the shifter.

From his bed, Gabriel did his best to complete a missing pet report, call all of the local vets and animal shelters _again_ , and monitor the social media posts about his cat’s disappearance. Soldier was hard to miss with the scars on his face and rugged exterior. So many people in town knew him; it was inevitable that he had to show up _somewhere_.

When he had done all he could to get the word out, Gabriel cried in frustration.

Even with the success of having shifted and feeling more like himself than he had in almost over a decade, the heartache of losing his small partner left him melancholy and worried sick.

“You have a good heart.” Cassandra rubbed at Gabriel’s back while her son wiped his eyes, sighing in annoyance over the situation.

“Ana will be here tomorrow and she might be able to track down our little friend.” Elena reminded, holding up the bag of white cat fur she had collected. “She has enough tracking spells at her disposal.”

“What if it doesn’t work? What if he’s been eaten?” Gabe grumbled.

“Then we can track the beast that ate him.” Elena offered.

“That’s not very helpful, mamá.” Cassandra tried to play referee. “Soldier couldn’t have gotten too far, and he’s recognizable enough to the locals.” She reasoned, running a hand across the back of Gabriel’s slightly sweat-damp neck. “We will find him. I even left one of your old beanies out on the porch to see if he could pick up on your scent.”

“Thanks, mom.”

Gabriel wanted to be optimistic about the whole thing, but with the knowledge that Soldier was actually some sort of cursed being, he knew better. The cat had run away because a witch was coming to the apartment and he had been found out for what he truly was. Although nothing malevolent was brought by his presence, it still left a lot to wonder.

Who exactly did Soldier piss off so much that warranted him such a nasty curse?

Would Ana recognize who he was?

Gabriel was curious about what was going on in Soldier’s head and exactly how much _human_ was left inside of the white cat. Had he been completely aware of every word Gabriel had spoken to him? Did he consciously stay by Gabriel’s side to protect him?

Who was trapped inside?

*

As was promised, Akande visited Gabriel on the day of the full moon.

Evening was drawing close and the Reyes family had given Gabriel some space, preparing for their own call to the moon at Elena’s home. Even Jesse was out, having employed the help of Romero to watch over him for his shifting. Gabriel didn’t want to leave his home, still steadfast that Soldier might return.

Akande looked around the room appraisingly, perhaps looking for any traces of dark energy. He made no comment on it while he stood within the threshold of the doorway.

“The cat is still missing, then.” He noted when he walked inside of the home with his briefcase. This time, he wore a dark charcoal grey suit that had been tailored within an inch of its life to fit his broad frame.

“Do you happen to have any spells to locate him?” Gabriel questioned with a nod towards the briefcase.

“None that I have with me today. A full moon complicates things.” Akande set the case down on the kitchen table and opened it, pulling out some herbs already prepared in a bag.

Straight to business.

“What is that?” The shifter asked, hoping it wasn’t more of the swamp tea.

“Today you will drink these medicinal herbs before your transformation. It will ensure that you are not trapped in your other form, or that the lechuza will have power over you. You will take this before any transformation to make sure the seal doesn't break, is that clear?”

The shifter watched Akande grind up the dried plant matter into a powder with the light colored mortar and pestle. With his strength, it didn’t take long.

“I will send you a few months’ supply until we can perfect the compound further.” Akande instructed. He glanced to the window where the sky was darkening. “It is best to drink this quickly.”

“Does it taste bad?”

The shaman poured the powdered mixture into a glass and handed it to the shifter. Gabriel filled the cup with plain tap water and mixed it.

It smelled terrible. Gabriel's nose scrunched and stomach flipped with distaste. 

Akande frowned. “You're wasting time. It is getting dark and the moon will be out soon.”

“Bottoms up.” Gabriel muttered. He plugged his nose with one hand, flattening his tongue so that the mixture would slide down the back of his throat without much contact to his taste buds.

The drink truly tasted _awful_.

It made his eyes water and stomach tighten with the effort not to heave and dispel the medicine from his body. He didn’t stop until he drank the whole thing, body shuddering in revulsion.

“I’m surprised you’re keeping it down.” Akande observed, a slight smirk plastered on his face. 

Gabriel couldn’t even react to the words, still entirely disgusted by what he had just put into his body.

“It will begin quickly once the sun is gone.” Akande glanced out the kitchen window calmly, unbothered by Gabriel’s discomfort. “Your transformation will be painful. Your body has been in distress for too long without it, so I will stay to ensure you do not run into further complications.”

Gabriel pulled orange juice from the fridge and drank it straight from the carton, trying to chase the medicine’s flavor from his mouth.

“Ana will be here tomorrow to check on your progress. I will be leaving to attend to another patient up north.”

Once the taste seemed to be a background buzz in his mouth, Gabriel spoke up, “You’re not going to stay longer?”

“Your ailments are under better control.” The shaman replied. “Not truly cured, but manageable for the first time in your life.”

“How do you know?”

“I’m never wrong when it comes to these matters.” Akande stated with finality. “You will be well again, Gabriel.”

The shifter didn’t have a reply to the remark, merely let out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. His skin was beginning to tingle at his fingertips, an old and familiar tell-tale sign that the sun was about to set and give way to the night.

“We will go outside to wait.”

“Sounds good.” Gabriel agreed.

The shaman and the owl shifter went out to the backyard of the two story building, both thankful that the clouds had let up long enough to hold in their rain and pass across the sky lazily. The air was getting cool, but it wouldn’t be an issue as soon as Gabriel shifted into his other form.

The last of the sun’s rays were disappearing on the horizon, giving way for the deep blues of the night to paint across the sky. There were already some stars visible between the clouds, as well as the dim glow of the moon to the far left as it begun to rise from the east.

“Be sure to return before the sunset. I will wait for you here.” Akande instructed. “Look out for predators.”

“They’re the least of my worries.”

Gabriel’s skin began to ripple and sting with the promise of his transformation. He took in deep, level breaths to calm his anxieties while he began to take off his shirt and pants, folding them onto the lawn chair. Akande didn’t seem surprised to see Gabriel standing in his briefs, his eyes trained on the light of the moon as it rose higher into the sky.

All at once, the symptoms began to pile on increasingly; his body swayed while his mind went dizzy, eyes blinking rapidly while they began to adjust to see more clearly in the night. His skin rippled with bird flesh, darkening while wisps of darkened smoke bled out from his pores and began to change the matter of his form.

Bones cracked, perception changed, as the black smoke turned into ooze, reshaping his human form as if he were a malleable metal to be repurposed. Akande could barely see the form of a human when the mass shrunk, shuddering down with sickening snap after crack until a loud, ear-piercing shriek echoed from the darkness.

From the dark matter emerged a dark colored barn owl, its wings open while it pushed up from the ground, flapping a few times in the air before landing in front of Akande.

The shaman chuckled, “You look like your old self again, Gabriel.”

The owl called back to him in its screechy voice, acknowledging the healer as it pushed back up into the air, testing out his wing strength.

With the moon giving off its full powers to the earth, Gabriel was able to soar up into the sky, his senses in overload while he adjusted to the feel of the wind and the freedom to fly where he pleased.

He took off in the direction of his grandmother’s home, content to fly with his family after so many years left alone.

He called out to them, screeching in the night.

*

*

*

The cursed human found peace in the quiet with Brigitte.

She could never replace the happiness and security Jack felt with Gabriel, but she was kind towards him and fascinating to observe while she tended to her home. She made her monetary living off of making weapons and armors for hunters and other supernaturals; shipping them out or sometimes having a guest stop by her front patio to pick up the box waiting for them. She never left her property, and barely spoke to anyone. She was consumed in her work, taking care of her vast garden, and enjoyed talking to all of the critters that visited her estate.

She was completely self-sufficient.

Brigitte absently rubbed Jack under his chin while she strolled past him, looking for a small spade to dig up the earth to plant new herbs.

Jack yawned and stretched out beside the orange tabby cat, who purred with contentment at the warm presence. They’d grown to be good friends in the short time they knew one another.

“You’ve been here for a few days now. Don’t you have someone out there, looking for you?” Brigitte asked while she knelt down beside the flower bed and eyed him.

The white stray let out a deep breath.

Of course he missed Gabriel.

He missed him every hour, and kept debating whether or not he should just keep a brave front and try to deal with an unknown witch, or if he was keeping Gabriel safe by staying away.

Brigitte pulled a phone from her pocket and turned the screen towards him.

It was a picture of Jack’s white furred face; a missing ad with a phone number.

“It’s all over the town’s news.” Brigitte informed him. “Your friend is very worried about you. Did you run away for a reason?”

Jack huffed.

“I know about the café you were at. I’m _assuming_ you must’ve ran away, but if it’s all the same to you, I think your friend is worried sick that you’re hurt.” Brigitte looked on sadly while Jack curled up into a ball, feigning indifference to the conversation.

 “We all have our burdens, but there are loved ones out there who will help us shoulder the weight of them. I don’t know the extent of your curse, but I’m sure you can get through it.”

Jack didn’t look at her.

She shook her head lightly with exasperation. “You are a stubborn one, you know that? Running from your problems will never solve anything.”

Jack’s tail whipped in annoyance against the ground.

 _What do you know about curses?_ He thought bitterly.

He closed his eyes and listened to the huldra methodically tend to her garden. When she wasn’t gardening, she was working in her garage shop to build armor and weapons for her close clientele.

Jack lazed throughout the day, giving into his cat instincts.

The other cats seemed to have accepted him into their pride, and the warm playful comfort of another feline was well regarded.

Little did Jack know that Brigitte had something more up her sleeve.

If Jack wasn’t going to face his issues willingly, she would take matters into her own hands.

Besides, Jack was supposed to be _human_ , not a cat. Brigitte wouldn’t allow her conscience to settle. Knowing that her newcomer was an abomination to what nature had intended for him, she would need to make it right. Jack wasn’t born to live this life, and as a huldra, Brigitte couldn’t allow those rhythms to be tampered with.

Dark magic was an affront to her being, but she had to call the one person she knew could help.

She called a family friend.

*

Jack went about his day as usual.

It was late afternoon and he could feel the call of a full moon rising over the land. All of nature could feel it; the earth seemed to have a kind of magic to it while the animals became more energetic and the plants seemed that much more colorful and fragrant. Insects buzzed and birds called out throughout the day, awaiting the impending power the moon would cast on the world.

The full moon meant _life_ , but it also meant danger if one wasn’t too careful.

Jack had grown complacent in the sanctuary, away from the world and avoiding his troubles.

Complacent in the comfort of sleeping on top of a cat tower with an orange tabby curled beside him, with the ease of co-existence and occupying the same space for warmth.

Little did he know of whom Brigitte had called over to look at his condition.

It started with a knock on the door.

It wasn’t uncommon for Brigitte to answer the door, even in her solitary life. Those who came were typically customers visiting to pick up their weaponry or protective wear.

Jack paid no mind at all to the sound of a woman’s voice, greeting Brigitte with an accompanying hug while the other welcomed her inside. He could hear the sound of shoes against old wood floors while the two women conversed about family. Pleasantries that didn’t seem outside the realm of the usual.

“How are your sisters? Ingrid was telling me that Klara is expecting her second this spring.”

Brigitte chuckled, “She is. I’ll be having her over to visit soon, actually. My mother will be traveling down with her for two weeks.”

“That is good. I will be sure to come down then to see her and make sure she is getting along well with the pregnancy.”

Jack yawned, stretching in his tower. His ears and tail wiggled from the exertion of muscles, feeling pleasantly relaxed.

When the voices got closer, that was when he smelled it.

It was a clear, like sea-water crashing against rock and fire; a volcanic scent that gave her away. He had smelled it only one other time, a long time ago, but he couldn’t connect to who it was or a name to remember them by.

All he knew was that the scent was a _witch_.

Brigitte had brought a witch into her home!

Jack felt betrayal hot and burning in his lungs while he jumped off of the tower, ears back and frantic to hide somewhere. He wondered if Brigitte even knew what her friend _was_ , after the huldra had clearly stated her disdain for dabbles in dark magic.

All at once, his body stopped moving. His legs gave out from under him, forcing him to immobility while a fleece blanket soon wrapped around him.

Careful hands lifted him from the floor and held him while he was bound by magick. Jack hissed, trying to get his message across clearly that he was an unhappy participant in whatever the women were scheming.

“So _you_ are the cursed one.” The witch specified.

The young woman had blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, framing her thin face. Her eyes were a bright shade of blue, curious and bright in their kindness. She was gentle while she cradled Jack in her arms and took a good look at him while wearing scrubs as if she had just gotten off of a hospital shift. Jack could smell the disinfectant on her.

“I’m sorry to bind you, but I was afraid you would hurt yourself if I hadn’t. I know you do not like witches, and I can see clearly why.” The blonde ran a finger across one of Jack’s facial scars sadly. “Moira cast an ugly spell on you, didn’t she?”

Brigitte cursed behind her. “Are you certain it was them?”

“It’s definitely her handiwork. I could sense it the moment I came inside.” The blonde frowned. She looked down at Jack, seeing past the cat-like form to the cursed soul that was housed within. “My name is Angela. I’m a witch that uses white magick. I promise that I mean you no harm.”

Jack still hissed back at her.

White magick, dark magick; it was all untrustworthy witchcraft to him.

Angela didn’t seem bothered by the show of anger.

“My, you’ve been this way a long time, haven’t you? You must have _really_ upset Moira for her to put this much energy into a curse.” Angela eyed him critically, “You must have been a hunter. You should’ve known better than to get in her way. Nonetheless, let’s take a closer look at you.”

Angela carried him into the kitchen where Brigitte laid a blanket out on the table.

“Do you think you can change him back?” The huldra questioned.

“It will take some tough magick and elbow grease, but anything can be remedied.” Angela reassured her. “Now, get me some soil, salt, and a bowl of water.”

Angela laid the cursed cat down on the soft blankets. She leaned down, pressing her forehead against the white furred head of the stray.

Jack growled in warning.

“Shhhh, it’s okay. I can lift this spell and rework it. You want to be human again, ja?”

Jack, despite his annoyance, meowed loudly.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Angela kept Jack bound while she began to set out her tools. A red candle, some sage, and a lighter. The last thing to be pulled from her backpack was a large, ancient brown leather spell book, labeled _Vitae_ on the front.

_Life._

Brigitte brought a bowl filled with tap water and set it out of Jack’s vision. There was another bowl, this one filled with fresh soil from one of the gardens outside.

“I know this is happening quickly for you, but if we harness some of the energy of the full moon, we can better rework this curse.” Angela explained gently. “It’s okay to be scared; you have been this way for so long and have forgotten what it’s like to be human.”

Jack couldn’t disagree with her there.

A small part of him, far back in the reaches of his being, longed to have his humanity back.

It was a frightening thought to behold; to wonder where he would go from here and who he was. He wondered even, for how _long_ had he been this way?

Was his family still alive?

Did he have a home to return to?

Angela pet the top of his head, soothing his anxiety. “It’ll be okay. I may not look it, but I am very old and have dealt with these curses before. It will be difficult at first, but in time you will heal, I promise.”

Knowing he could no longer run away, Jack surrendered to his fate.

The fight fizzled away.

He closed his eyes and listened to the witch and the huldra move around him, whispering words in Latin while his body began to feel heavier and heavier with each word uttered.

He wondered if he would fall right through the table.

He wondered if he could fall through the earth, allowing the soil and plants to ensnare him in an earthen tomb?

Time bled into thick, slow molasses.

He felt an ache rush through his body as if his blood had suddenly warmed a few degrees hotter than what it could handle.

Every time he opened his eyes, all he saw was the thick expanse of darkness before him; black and void-like as if the otherworld was swallowing him whole.

_A witch with one red eye, one blue, laughing while purple magick choked him._

_Laughed while his body convulsed and changed._

“This harmful curse I now negate. Turn things back to their rightful state.”

There was a loud snap and Jack lost all consciousness.

All he could remember was _pain_.

*

*

*

He came back to in small pinpricks of feeling.

A twitch of his toes and claws that were no longer sharp, but rounded and weathered with callouses and sores while they pushed against what felt like soil.

His legs, twitching not underneath him, but below him on the ground where he laid on his back. His knees twitched, one of them popping with the effort it took to move the muscle.  

Jack tried to move his tail to curl it around his cold, aching body, but felt nothing.

He opened his eyes, groaning out loud when all the shapes revealed colors and blurriness that had never been there before. He covered his eyes with his paw- _hand_ \- and took shallow breaths when the pain of moving his body shot up his spine.

“Shhh, keep your eyes closed. Your sight will not return to you for a while longer.” Angela’s voice reached out to him in the darkness.

Jack was in pain and could barely speak. His nose burned every time he breathed in; his head had lost all of the synapses and regularities of his feline senses, leaving him confused and vulnerable.

His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, unable to form words past a deep, throaty groan that felt like gurgling molten rocks. He didn’t even know if he could speak or recognize the voice that would flow past his lips.

He wondered, _How long have I been gone?_

Angela ran a hand carefully across his scalp, combing through what felt like hair. “You’re human again, but there are conditions to your new curse.” She clarified for him. “Once you are well enough, I will explain everything to you.”

He couldn’t help but to think, over and over, _Fuck, witches…_

He only ever associated their magick with agony.

Jack suffered with severe vertigo; going from a small body to a bigger one, and having no sense of direction or time past the pain he was feeling, left his brain struggling to find a balance. The world kept shifting around him while his senses went haywire with panic.

Through the confusion, he heard the loud screeching of what sounded like a bird. His body shuddered, heart picking up speed.

“Ga-b-“ Jack tried to speak, but broke off into a cough, teeth clenching.

“I will give you something to help you sleep.” Angela rubbed a liquid that smelled of eucalyptus and lavender against the cursed human’s forehead. “Do not fight it….go peacefully…”

The world went dark again while his brain began to settle.

Jack could still hear the screeching of a barn owl in the distance.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very special thanks to Ohappyfair for helping me tie down some intricate plot points, and to MaidenM for helping me to bring Brigitte to life as a huldra in this fic.
> 
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	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A soul mate is not found. A soul mate is recognized.” – Vironika Tugaleva

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warnings for some discussion of slight body dysmorphia from shifting. Also, mentions of loss of important body parts being regained.

Flying with the light of the full moon radiating off of his brilliant feathers, Gabriel felt whole and one with the supernatural realm again. He had been born to this world; destined for it at birth to be a part of all things hidden from human eyes. He called out into the night, screeching from the top of his lungs while his eyes zeroed in on every miniscule movement of the earth beneath him.

He felt connected to his core again; one with the spirit of his ancestors without the curse of the lechuza hanging over his head.

Gabriel knew he would be exhausted in the morning after shifting for the first time in so long, but he didn’t reflect on his energy levels while he soared as high as he could and looked out over the small town and the trees of the thick surrounding forest. He felt joy and gratitude overfill his senses, allowing him to savor the moment even more.

The shape shifter still had a long road of recovery, but it was worth it to be able to fly again.

The old veteran flew to the outskirts of the city, circling around a familiar farmhouse where Jesse’s old pickup truck was parked on the driveway. He glided down to the large shed with the skylight and tapped upon the glass, peering in.

Sure enough, Jesse was chained down against the floor in his werewolf form while Gabriel’s father sat in the frayed recliner, reading a novel while Boomer lay across his boot-covered feet.

Gabriel tapped again at the skylight.

Jesse’s werewolf form barred its teeth at the owl, but a few sniffs of his nose caught along his friend’s familiar scent. Boomer’s ears perked up while he looked up to the window, his tail thumping heavily against the ground in greeting.

Gabriel screeched from outside, giving his father cause to look up.

Romero nearly dropped the book and laughed when he noticed the barn owl watching them from above, looking proud and regal while he spread his wings to show off. Gabriel had always been a little bit of a show off with his powers.

“Glad to see you’re back to your old self, mijo.” Romero saluted the shape shifter. “Jesse is fine. We’ve got it all covered.”

Gabriel tapped at the glass again with his talons, sizing up the werewolf who glared back tiredly. Whatever sedatives he was taking were working well through his system.

“Go join the others. They’re waiting for you at the farm.” Romero reminded. “I’ll see you in the morning. Go.”

Not wanting to keep the rest of his family waiting, he disembarked and rose back up into the sky with a few heavy flaps of his wings. Some of the take-off still felt rusty, but he would master it again in no time as memory served its function.

The Solis farm was on the outskirts of the neighboring town; a good 35 minute drive by car on back country roads. He enjoyed the smell of the trees and the sounds of nature so alive around him. His expert hearing picked up on the footsteps of deer on the ground and the rustling of raccoons along the tree branches.

Once in a while, he could hear the calls of other owls in the night. Most were out hunting to feed their families, but Gabriel’s sole purpose was to rejoin with his family and scout the land for anything unusual.

It was in looking for the unusual that his heightened senses picked up on the sounds of human voices below him and the unmistakable heaviness of digging. He could hear where the sharp weight of metal sliced into the earth and dug deep, hoisting dark soil to the surface.

There was also the sound of a second voice; a deeper set timbre that groaned in pain and discomfort.

Gabriel glided down to the thickness of the trees, curious to see what was going on.

As a child and a nosy teenager, Gabriel loved to transform at night and spy on what his neighbors and other humans were up to. His family would tease him that it was rude to stare and spy on unsuspecting humans/other magical folk, but Gabriel had always had a good sense of when something was amiss.

He had seen plenty during his time as an owl.

From a high tree branch he could see the outline of two women. One was digging up soil and covering it into a pit, while another sat at the…head of a man?

He hopped down to a lower tree branch, turning his head curiously at the bizarre sight.

The head of the man was still attached to a body that looked like it had been burned and scarred. One woman was covering it in soil, her young voice somewhat soothing.

“Easy now. It’ll be okay. You need time for your body to heal.” The red head reassured.

The other woman, a blonde wearing a dark brown and black cloaked dress, smoothed a thick paste over some of the man’s face and over his eyes. Gabriel recognized it as a healing spell, one his own grandmother had used when he used to get cuts and bruises.

All that was really visible of the man was the brightness of white hair that stood out in the moonlight.

Gabriel watched the whole ordeal curiously while the two women tried to comfort the man and cover him with the dark soil. He wanted to get closer, but he noticed that there were a few cats in the distance. One of which was trying to climb up the tree Gabriel was perched on.

The cat wasn’t an excellent climber, so it got stuck a few branches below him. It meowed pitifully while it watched him prune his feathers for his next take off.

Although the scene before him was strange, he was relieved to see that there wasn’t a murder and burying of a body happening. Satisfied, he left the tree and noted the location of the home so that he could visit it again in the future to see if the unfortunate victim they were attempting to heal was still buried in the ground.

Besides, the women must’ve been witches, which was something he didn’t want to disturb.

The light of the full moon always brought about crazy rituals for many supernatural beings, so seeing a man getting half buried wasn’t the craziest thing he had ever witnessed.

The night always carried with it the mysteries of the other side. A whole realm unknown and unseen by humans, Gabriel felt fortunate that he was born a shape shifter. Life would’ve seemed boring in comparison without it.

It took him another ten minutes of continuous flight to finally reach the Solis farm. At the top of the new barn (the old one had been burned down not long after the lechuza got a hold of Gabe) were his mother and his grandmother. His mother had the form of a smaller long eared owl, while his grandmother occupied a northern saw-whet owl appearance.

The three birds greeted each other with excited clicks and light grooming, Gabriel endured most of the grooming, allowing his mother and _abuela_ to fawn over him. He closed his eyes, welcoming the attention until he had finally had enough and rustled his plumage, shaking out the loose downy feathers his mom had snuffed out.

The three lifted back up into the sky, allowing the matriarch of their family to lead the way. Elena had been waiting for this moment for months while she brought her family down the hill towards the river where they followed the flow of the rapid paced water.

It was a special night, and she planned to fly them out to the lake where the full moon’s light would reflect strongly off of the cold waters.

When Gabriel was healthy enough, they would one day take a trip out to the edge of the ocean to feel the power of the moon’s pull on the waves. Many beings visited the ocean to absorb the power of the two celestial bodies.

For now the three were content to fly side by side; savoring the reunion and rejoicing in Gabriel’s newly acquired freedom.

They took turns screeching and calling into the night, happy to be met by the sounds of other owls and birds of prey in the distance.

It was a celebration as much as a reunion and Gabriel was glad to be welcome back into the fray of night.

*

When the full moon began to grow dim with the promise of dawn rising in the east, Gabriel took his long flight back to his home while his family accompanied him. He knew he could’ve flown by himself, but his _abuela_ had been adamant that they escort him back safely.

There was still another hour and a half left of darkness, giving Elena and Cassandra enough time to fly back to the Solis farm.

Akande was waiting for the shape shifters outside. He stood when he saw Gabriel’s familiar barn owl outline and waved his hand in the air when the owl screeched to him in greeting.

Changing back into his human form was tricky, but the old creaking of his bones and the bubbling of magick in his blood recognized his will to change back. This time, it abided.

Like the shuffling of the cards in a deck, he felt the organization of his cells shift rapidly. His body grew and wings reformed back into his skin, giving him goose bump flesh all over his body. His eyes flashed red for a brief moment, mouth unhinging and reforming into a human jaw.

The transformation was quick, but no less jarring.

By the time his human feet hit the ground, he stumbled to his knees and groaned in pain.

Akande laid a blanket across his shoulders and draped it along his back, covering the shifter’s nakedness. He helped him up the stairs to his home while the two other owl shifters watched nervously.

“He is fine. I will have him rest.” Akande reassured. “Go.”

Both of the owls took off, trusting the younger shifter was in capable hands.

Once inside of the home, Akande helped Gabriel hobble to the bedroom and sit on the bed. The shaman handed the younger man another brew of the nasty tasting tea and watched him expectantly while Gabriel downed it in one go.

He still gagged at the taste.

Akande took the empty cup and left the younger man to rest.

The shaman shut the door on his way out.

The veteran had enough wherewithal to at least pull on some sweatpants before be laid back on the bed and fell into a dreamless, blissful sleep.

*

*

After shifting, Gabriel could feel the familiar crick in his joints and the bone-deep soreness that came with using the natural magick that flowed through his body. He woke up feeling somewhat hungover, which was enough to motivate him to take a hot shower and eat something filling to help him regain his energy.

He showered and dressed comfortably, knowing he wouldn’t need to be into the café until the evening to start preparing for the next day. He had decided to close the café to give everyone some time to rest. Most supernaturals weren’t out on the day after a full moon anyways, and he was too exhausted to manage the store properly.

After getting dressed and brushing his teeth, he came out to the main room to find his home quiet and free of any visitors. He went through the motions of making coffee and began preparing some protein pancakes to try and quell the insatiable hunger that made his stomach ache and rumble.

He glanced over to the cat tower near the kitchen forlornly, missing his furry companion. Soldier loved to sit at the top and watch him cook, sometimes meowing and chirping back at him while Gabriel hummed to the tune of the radio.

Soldier had always loved watching Gabriel. The cursed cat purred and ‘talked’ in excess, letting Gabriel know his contentment or view on things while the old veteran chatted with him.

It was in the quiet moments that Gabriel missed his companion the most.

He sat down at the table and ate his stack of pancakes and syrup while watching the news.

Soldier used to sit in the chair beside him, purring in contentment while he pet him every few moments.

Gabriel glanced to the empty chair beside him glumly.

*

A few hours later, Akande returned with another visitor in tow. Gabriel was on the couch, in-between dozing off for another nap and vegetating while watching some marathon of an interior decoration show. He felt like shit, which was probably normal considering what he had been through over the last few days.

He could hear Akande’s deep voice coming up the stairs to his front door, as well as a recognizable woman’s tone that he hadn’t heard in years.

_Ana._

Gabriel clumsily rose from the couch and walked towards the door, opening it in time to greet the shaman and the grey witch. Neither of them seemed surprised to find the shifter still in sweats and hauling a fleece blanket around his broad shoulders.

“Long time no see, Gabriel. You're looking well.” Ana greeted cheerfully. She gave the younger man a hug and entered into the apartment, looking around nonchalantly. She smelled like charge of particles before a thunder storm; filled with promise and power while cast in the the thickness of humid fog air. It was a scent Gabriel recognized instantly from his childhood, when she had initially tried to attend to him when the _lechuza_ first possessed his soul.

Back then, the _lechuza_ hadn't grown in strength like it would years later through Gabriel's mistakes and the blood on his ledger.

Gabriel locked the door behind Akande, who went straight to the kitchen table to set down his briefcase.

“I’m sure my family has filled you in on everything.” Gabriel eyed the containers Akande took out of his suitcase warily.

Ana patted the side of the veteran’s face. “We’ll get you sorted in no time. Since I live closer, I will be monitoring your condition while Akande is away.”

“My flight leaves this evening.” Akande clarified. “Ana knows the herbs well enough to assist you. I will be back in three months to re-evaluate your health and progress, given I am not tied up in other cases.”

Gabriel knew better than to voice any opinions. He nodded, at least thankful that he was being cured in the best sense of the word. “My door is always open.”

“I’ve looked over the ingredient of the remedy and was able to mix it together in a containment jar. All you will need to do is take a scoop of it before and after you transform.” Ana pulled out a large, clear plastic container that was filled with the ruddy green blend. “Akande would also like you to have the apartment cleansed with sage at least once a week to ward off anything attracted to your energy.”

“Although your dark energy has been sealed, the magnitude of your powers is easily sensed. Other mares and spirits will be drawn to you.” Akande crossed his arms, looking over at the doorway.

“Thus I have some candles and crystals for you to place around the home to keep it purified. We don’t want anything to trigger that energy.” Ana looked pleased over the small haul they had unloaded on the café owner’s table.

Gabriel picked up one of the pale candles and sniffed it. It smelled of light sage and a hint of sea-salt. 

“Follow the guide and take care of yourself. Your quality of life should be better from this point forward, so long as you don’t get yourself involved with anything…dangerous.” Akande eyed him, as if seeing right through the shifter and his intentions.

Gabriel knew what the look was about. “You’re referring to my cat.”

Akande’s upper lip twitched. “It’s best to let that cursed feline off to its own devices. Whatever it did to be turned, it was probably well deserved.”

Ana hummed in disagreement. “No one deserves to be turned into an animal against their will.”

“It’s black magick, Ana.”

Ana waved off the shaman’s concern. “Many black magick casters will use their spells out of entertainment. No one is immune to the arrogance of a dark witch.”

 “Soldier warded off the spirits from feeding on my nightmares. I think I owe it to him to help.” Gabriel agreed.

“If you decide to help that cat and things go south, I will not come back to rescue you from your mistakes. Consider it my final warning to leave that cursed human be.” Akande stated gravely. “Ana, you and I both know only a handful of dark witches capable of such curses. Consider the consequences before you get yourself involved.”

“What would life be without a little fun and danger, hm?”

Gabriel tried to hide his smile. He was pleased that at least Ana seemed to be willing to help him.

Akande wasn’t as impressed. He changed the subject.

“I will be back in three months. Gabriel, good luck. Stay out of trouble so that trouble doesn’t find itself an open invitation back into your life.” The shaman closed his briefcase and smoothed out his tie.

“You’re leaving already?”

“I have nothing more to offer you at this time and I have another patient to visit before my flight.”

Gabriel wasn’t sure if a hug was appropriate for the person who, for all intents and purposes, saved his life. The handshake they settled on didn’t seem to hold the same weight of gratitude Gabriel felt, but Akande looked pleased with the gesture.

“Ana, I’ll be seeing you.” Akande spoke over his shoulder.

“I’ll be in touch.” The older woman waved her fingers before looking in the shifter’s cupboards for a mug.

Akande left, his heavy steps echoing down the stairs.

After a few moments, Ana began to set on a pot of hot water for her tea. Gabriel scratched the back of his neck, assessing the situation. “So you’ll agree to help me find Soldier?”

“You mean your cursed cat?” Ana snickered. “Of course, Gabriel. I’m curious to see what the cat’s condition is. I suppose it’s in my nature to bring balance to all things.”

As a grey witch, Ana walked a similar path as the shamans did. She understood the sacredness in finding a middle road where both light and dark magick were used to keep that tendril of neutrality equal.

“How about you bring me a few items that belonged to your cat? Some of his hair, maybe an old collar if you have one, would be helpful.”

Gabriel agreed to it, setting out to look around his apartment for the necessary items. He had two drawers in his guest bedroom that were dedicated to some of the outfits and items he had acquired for his small roommate.

He brought the items to the witch, who sat at the table looking through her phone while her tea steeped beside her.

The shifter laid the items out on the table.

Ana inspected them curiously, picking out some of the white hairs from the cat brush and a small bowtie collar Gabriel had Soldier wear on occasion. “These will do.”

The witch took a sip of her tea and ambled through her large bag, pulling out a few herbs and ornate bottles of liquids.

Gabriel settled in the chair across from her, watching her curiously. “Aren’t you supposed to have a spell book?”

Ana smirked. “They have eBooks for that these days. Besides, I’ve done this spell hundreds of times. You’d be surprised how many things people lose. Just keep in mind there is no 100% guarantee. Typically, dark magick will mask the location of those cursed if the witch doesn’t want them to be found.”

“Let’s hope that’s not the case.”

Ana took a few more sips of her hot tea and set if off to the side, giving herself more space to work. She hovered both of her hands palm down, scanning over the energy of the cat’s items while she mouthed the familiar incantation, giving herself fully into her magick.

The shifter watched, entranced by the whole display.

The witch adjusted her eye patch above her forehead, revealing the scar over her eyelid. When both eyes opened, they were fogged and gray; as if she had trapped the very essence of the early morning mist within her body.

Eyes still looking forward unseeingly, she grabbed from her bag a pendant and set it on the table, her thumb covering the small jewel from sight.

Her left hand glowed white, transferring the energy of the spell into the pendant.

When it was over, her eyes cleared back to their familiar brown. She covered her other eye and sighed in annoyance.

“I can’t get a firm location, but he is somewhat close.” Ana said with a hint of frustration. “The curse is, of course, impeding the spell. What I could do was channel the energy into this pendant so that it will glow green if he comes within a 1 mile radius of you.”

Gabriel thumbed over the simple leather necklace with a white crystal set into a rose gold pendant.

“Do you know the witch who did this to him?”

Ana took a long drink of her tea. “I have my suspicions. If I’m correct, then she’s the type who will look for and collect her ‘experiments.’ Let’s hope Soldier is as clever as you say he is.”

“I’ll have to trust that he is.” Gabriel sighed, thankful for the pendant but a little crestfallen that she couldn’t get the exact location of his companion.

He wondered to himself if he was going overboard; if Akande’s words of warning should be followed. The last thing Gabriel needed in his life was more dark magick to interfere with his already delicate position between sanity and loss of control.

He may have been going through a lot for the sake of a cursed human (whom he wasn’t sure if he was innocent or guilty of whatever crime his punishment issued, but he _had_ to believe Soldier was innocent.) The café owner remembered the nights his small partner had laid on his chest, protecting him from the negative spirits; he remembered the way Soldier sat beside him on the table or purred aggressively when Gabriel felt at war with his inner demons.

Soldier had been there for him in every sense of the word, and had only left when danger seemed imminent. Gabriel often wondered if Soldier was still protecting him from whatever evil presence had initially cursed him.

He wondered what type of witch would leave someone so afraid.

*

*

*

Jack woke up to the sensation of a rough tongue swiping across his skin, diligently trying to clean the human’s face from the gunk Angela had placed on it in an effort to heal him. The cursed human groaned, unable to lift his arms to shoo the cat away while the ginger tabby meowed at him loudly.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead against hers, hopefully getting the point across that he was okay.

“She recognizes you.” Brigitte pointed out with an amused smile. “Now you’re just an even stranger cat to her.”

“With no tail.” Angela added, sipping on a cup of coffee while she sat on one of the lawn chairs. Brigitte was working in her garden cheerfully, humming along while the smell of fresh soil encompassed Jack’s senses.  

Jack could also smell the coffee, and for the first time that he could remember, the smell made his stomach rumble with need.

The dark roast smelled heavenly.

“You’ll be on a bland diet until we can get your human digestive functions sorted.” Angela explained when she noted the way he looked forlornly at the cup. She took one last sip and set her mug down on the back porch so that she could approach Jack, who still had most of his sore, naked body covered in soil.

It wasn’t the most comfortable position.

Angela seemed to read his mind. “The earth heals the flesh and brings renewal. You took a lot of damage to your feline body, and it reflects on your human form. I couldn’t heal everything, but I did the parts I thought would count.”

Jack wanted to ask if his balls were back.

 _Fuck_ , he could remember that operation…when the first animal control groups had caught him and brought him to the animal shelter where he fought tooth and nail screaming to get out of the cage. He refused to go willingly to surgery, so they had to sedate him with a shot.

He had mourned the loss of his testicles, even though he didn’t want to mate and never showed any desire to breed with a cat. He didn’t need them for that purpose, but they were a part of him all the same.

It was the principle of the matter. It counted for when he was human again.

Jack didn’t want to lift his hand to check now, but he felt hopeful.

“Don’t move too quickly, you’re in no condition.”

Brigitte walked over to him and piled some more soil over his torso with her shovel. Jack glared at her while Brigitte smiled cheekily. “For the healing!”

Jack sighed, his throat still sore and abrasive. He couldn’t speak; each sound that came out was a wheeze or struggle for words. Seeing the world finally in color was difficult enough, especially now that it was light out. He was under the shade of the large trees, but everything was so _green_ and obnoxious.

Angela patted the dark colored earth tightly over him. “The earth will right all the wrongs that have been done to you. The soil is filled with the remnants of our lives.” She then pulled a bucket of water closer, dumping some of it over the soil until it seeped down far enough for Jack to feel it. It was cold and stung at his skin.

Jack winced.

“Salt water, from the ocean. We came from those waters, and they will rebirth us.” Angela smiled. “It’s going to hurt for a few days, but we need to ensure your body won’t shift back immediately and undo the progress we’ve made.”

The cursed human wondered if it was all worth it.

“Almost done.” Brigitte piped up.

The witch poured the rest of the ocean water on him, even going so far as to scoop a handful and press it on his head, allowing his hair to soak it in. The water ran over his sensitive skin, stinging in areas that hadn’t been sore before.

Jack hissed from the sensation, wishing he could turn away even though it encompassed him.

Angela walked back over to the porch and pulled out her old leather-bound spell book, flipping through it casually. She sat cross legged on the ground, the book in her lap before her.

“Jack, there is a spell I’m going to try on you to keep you from changing every 24 hours. There will be some side effects, but I promise they will be minor in comparison.”

 _In comparison to what?_ Jack fretted. He was glad to have a human form again, but the idea of having his curse completely reworked with side effects made him feel queasy and light headed.

His eyes darted between the huldra and the witch, wondering what more they would do to him.

“I’ll knock you out for it so that you don’t have to experience any of the unpleasant pangs it could cause.” Angela looked to him steadfastly. “I promise I will only work to help your situation, but remember…the laws of nature still apply, and your curse was a very powerful one. I can only do so much. Okay?”

Jack knew he didn’t have much of a choice, and whatever Angela was planning was better than being a cat for the rest of his life while he lost all sense of his humanity.

He nodded, giving his consent to whatever would happen next.

Jack never did have good luck, but his options were slim to none. He had to trust that the witch had good intentions, and that by the end of the whole thing, she wouldn’t enslave him as payment for her talents.

The last thing Jack wanted to be was a familiar again.

_Again?_

A short flashback clouded his mind. His small white furred body, sitting on a shelf beside a bookcase, tied up to a ledge while the witch with different colored eyes tested a spell on a scared rabbit.

He had a brief moment of vertigo, feeling sick to his stomach before he blacked out.

*

*

*

“Y’know, staring at that pendant every five minutes isn’t going to make him appear.” Jesse reminded as he skillfully finished two orders of lattes. He handed them to the customers with a cheerful smile.

The shifter hid the pendant back under his maroon colored shirt, feeling a little embarrassed for being caught staring at it again. He had already gone out looking around the neighborhood with his pendant in hand, hoping it would glow green.

Jesse had walked with him, trying to be supportive and helpful even though the wolf was sure that Soldier had escaped somewhere far enough away to elude his keen sense of smell and any chances that he could get caught.

“It’s been a long time now.” Jesse sighed. “He’s probably long gone. I think it’s kind of obvious now that he doesn’t want to be found.”

“I’m allowed to have hope.” Gabriel muttered.

“Well maybe the next time you go out flying, we tie that pendant around your neck. You’d cover more distance that way.” Jesse rubbed down the countertop.

Gabriel considered it. It would take an extra set of hands to help him attach the pendant to his smaller owl form. Although the pendant was small, it was considerably heavy. If he could fit it to a harness it would possibly work more efficiently.

“We’ll have to craft something for an owl, then.” Gabriel agreed.

“I have some things in my workshop that we could work with.”

“I’ll fly out to you later tonight. There’s some other places I wanted to check before the end of the day.”

“Like that man getting buried?” Jesse raised a brow. “You always find all the weirdos. Perhaps that’s a part of your curse.”

Gabriel smiled. “I saw him the other day. He wasn’t dead, so that’s good.”

“Isn’t spying on people against a certain supernatural code? You don’t see me sniffin around every attractive person that comes into the shop.”

“It’s not like that.” Gabriel shushed.

Jesse laughed. “You used to shift and creep on that guy that lived down the street from your parents’ house when we lived in California. This dirt man must be pretty handsome for you to keep flying by to check on him.”

The older man ducked away from Jesse’s teasing, hating the blush that came naturally to his cheeks. Out of everything going on, he didn’t want to be shamed for being curious about a man rising from the earth and living on a plot of land with a dozen cats.

Jesse nudged the shifter. “C’mon Gabe, it’s healthy to have a little crush. So long as you’re not watching him in more…revealing situations.”

“There’s a lot of weird shit that goes on. I have a right to be curious about some handsome stranger living in the woods.”

“Well if this guy is also a crazy cat owner, perhaps you two will have some things in common.” Jesse relented. “It’s good to have a crush.”

“Is Gabriel finally dating someone?” Lena asked while she walked past the two older men, delivering some fresh pastries into the display. “It’s about time.”

“I’m not- No.” Gabriel grumbled. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s a mystery man.” Jesse wiggled his fingers. “I think you should ask him out.”

“Because things are that simple.”

“They could be!” Lena agreed. “Emily asked me out at a dance class. A little unorthodox, but we’ve been together ever since. You never know, Gabriel.”

Gabriel shook his head and sauntered into the kitchen where the smell of fresh croissants calmed his senses. He shouldn’t feel guilty for being curious about some human’s well-being, but Gabriel had a heart too big for his chest and curiosity always got the best of him.

He rubbed his fingers over the pendant, hoping he and Jesse could create a harness strong enough for him to carry the jewel with him.

There was a lot going on in his life, and a small part of him wished for the simpler times when the rain could wash away the worries and he had the company of a partner beside him.

*

*

*

Jack’s whole body ached.

It was a bone-deep, core shaking type of tiredness that made it easy to want to stay in bed all day and sleep the hours away. However, Angela was adamant that Jack get up and move around to stretch out his limbs and become accustomed to being a human again. The more he moved, the better it would alleviate the stress on his original body and allow him to acclimate to his decreased senses.

The world used to be so much louder and focused, but now Jack’s human ears picked up on a lot less. His eyes were also still slightly blurred from time to time when it came to bright things, but he appreciated seeing things in a larger array of colors than before.

For the first hour of walking outside amongst the garden, he used the help of a walking stick and Brigitte’s hovering assistance to get him around the large plot. Most of the sunlight still hurt his eyes, so he wore a pair of old sunglasses that belonged to Brigitte’s uncle. His skin was also still sore, so Angela had insisted on a hat and long sleeves to cover the irritated flesh.

It was strange to re-acclimate to being human, but each day he grew stronger and began to feel more in tune with his human needs.

Jack enjoyed the use of the bathroom the most and being able to wash his hands properly. He knew he would enjoy his first proper warm shower that didn’t involve Angela pouring herbs and medicine on his sores and burns while he covered himself dejectedly like a child.

In the restroom was also where Jack first encountered a large mirror, giving him a clear vision of what he now looked like.

He didn’t have a memory of a ‘before’ to compare it to, but the shock of white hair was the first thing he noticed. It was soft and somewhat receded at his hairline, but it was thick in the back where a cowlick caused a stubborn piece to stick up like an antennae. He wet his hands and tried to force the hair down, but he knew by the time it dried it would probably be poking up again.

His eyes were blue and his skin pale with splotches of red and pink where it was still healing. He had thick scars running across his face; one that went between his eyes and to the side of his jaw, and another large one that cut down his lips. He had a few lighter scars on his face, and the tip of his left ear was chipped off from where humans had done a TNR a long time ago. It was small, but still noticeable.

It seemed many of the scars he had earned as a cat translated to his human form. Unless he had them beforehand?

It was difficult to remember.

Jack wasn’t sure if his white hair was truly because of age or because Angela hadn’t been able to restore his original hair color. He had some wrinkles, showing he was middle aged, but Jack felt his face structure still looked young and proud.

Opening his shirt, he noticed the continued dusting of white hair on his chest, down his stomach, and all the way down to his groin. He breathed another sigh of relief that Angela _had_ been able to restore his testes, which he wasn’t sure how he could’ve functioned without.

In his distant thoughts, he wondered if Gabriel would find him attractive…

The thought was quickly shunned, because Gabriel was in much better shape and was much more handsome than Jack could ever dream of. Jack felt haggard; perhaps a last choice for anyone at a bar looking to take someone home.

He sighed and washed his hands again, wondering if he should try to dye his hair so he wouldn’t stand out as much. When he walked out of the bathroom, Angela was waiting at the dining room table for him with her spell book out before her.

Jack eyed the book warily.

“Do you recognize yourself?” She asked curiously, glancing up to meet his blue eyes.

Jack shook his head and coughed. “No.” His voice was still difficult to listen to with how deep and off putting it was to him. His throat was sore after each sentence he spoke.

The light haired man still didn’t have all of his memories back, and it was likely it would take weeks to months for him to regain them while the curse’s poison seeped out.

Angela pulled a chair out beside her. “I have something for you. It is a simple device, but it will help with the healing process.”

Jack hesitated.

Brigitte cleared her voice from the kitchen, watching him pointedly.

The cursed human sulked while he sat down and Angela smiled while she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a discreet black collar.

“Is this a joke?” He grumbled.

“Did you want a bell and ID tag to go with it?” Angela chuckled. “Look.” She flipped over the collar, indicating the symbols carved in white. “These are all healing spells to help suck the curse’s poison from your body. It should offer clarity over time, as well as keep you from any more degenerative spells that might’ve been in place. It will adjust with you when you shift, too.”

Jack ran his fingers over the markings with a frown. “What do you mean ’when I shift?’ I thought the point was for me to stay human.”

“Now is as good a time as any to explain the curse, as well as the witch that gave it to you.” Angela took the collar and fitted it over Jack’s neck. He stayed still, not refusing the help while she married each side of the black leather bands and sealed them with a small incantation.

Jack pulled on the collar. It stretched and was comfortable, but it reminded him too much of his years as a cat.

“Every three weeks, you will have to change back into a cat.” Angela explained sullenly. “I wish I could’ve removed the spell completely, but I was afraid it would’ve killed you in the process. I am an old witch, and although I have plenty of spells to manage this curse of yours, it was done by a stronger witch than I. One who exclusively dabbles in the dark arts.”

“Then you know them?”

Angela nodded. “Her name is Moira O’Deorain; a very powerful and nasty witch to cross paths with. We used to be close, but I couldn’t agree with the ways she used her powers. I feel somewhat responsible for what happened to you…I wish I could’ve been stronger back then to have stopped her. Now, she is out of my control.”

Jack looked down at the open spell book and frowned.

“Whatever you did to anger her, she made sure you would suffer for it.”

“I must have really pissed her off.” Jack coughed, clearing his throat again. Brigitte set a glass of cold water before him sympathetically.

“The only way to completely lift the curse is to go to Moira herself. However, I wouldn’t recommend it.

“She would probably turn you into something else.” Brigitte shrugged. “Like a grasshopper or a turkey.”

Jack sulked. “So how long would I have to be a cat for?”

“Every three weeks, you’ll be a cat for 1 week. Seven days total. When the time is up, you’ll turn back to your original human self for 24 days. Memories intact. You’ll have to keep track on a calendar to plan accordingly.”

“That’s…well, it’s better than not being a human at all.” Jack surmised. “I appreciate the help.”

“As I have said, I am glad to be of service.”

“Especially when that service is annoying Moira. Angela just wants to get back at her ex.” Brigitte snorted.

The blonde cringed. “That was well over a century ago.”                                  

“How old are you, exactly?” Jack questioned carefully.

Angela shrugged, “Much older than you. A couple hundreds of years, give or take.” She sighed, straightening her back. “I know the repurposed spell isn’t perfect, but it’ll award you some quality of life in the process.”

The cursed human knew it was a better deal than the previous. He sighed, “I’m grateful for whatever you can do.”

“In the meantime, we should figure out exactly who you are. All we know is your name is Jack. No last name, no birthdate, no home, nothing.” Brigitte spoke up. “Angela and I would like to take a few samples from you to verify your identity. My uncle Rein has the equipment.”

“Samples?”

Angela continued. “Just fingerprints, a dental imprint, and a cheek swab. Nothing too invasive. While Brigitte sends those along, I would also like to take a wellness check to make sure you’re transitioning well.”

Jack shrugged and held out his arm. “Take whatever you need. If it helps, I’m for it. I know you must have better things to do than help an old man like me, so…thank you.”

 Angela smiled, looking sincere and hopeful. “It is my pleasure. Shall we go ahead and take those samples to see who exactly you are?”

“No time like the present.” Jack consented. The knowledge of finally getting to know who he was, and hopefully putting the puzzle pieces of his identity together excited him. For so long, everything had been fuzzy and scattered.

Now he was excited to embrace more clarity on who he truly was.

*

Late in the evening, Jack sat outside on the back porch eating a cookie with chocolate milk while listening to the sounds of crickets. He watched while his favorite orange tabby cat played with a black and white kitten, batting around each other while they played with a leaf between them.

Most of the night sounded familiar, until he heard the loud screeching of a barn owl close by.

He looked up, trying to locate where the bird was. Both of the cats heard it too, their ears adjusting while they ran off towards the garden.

A few moments later, a barn owl with strange darker markings landed a few feet away from him, clicking at him inquisitively.

Jack wanted to somehow believe this was Gabriel; that his shape shifter had finally found him. He also didn’t want to get his hopes up or encounter Gabriel yet, when he still had more healing to go. His skin was still sore and splotchy, and his scars looked angry and painful. He didn’t want his former owner to pity what he had turned into.

Then again, there was no full moon out and the human wasn’t sure what conditions the shifter needed to change. Many animals visited Brigitte’s home, and it was possible it was all coincidence.

Jack licked his lips and pulled a piece of the cookie apart, tossing it to the bird.

The owl hopped back when the piece fell before its talons. It inspected the cookie and then screeched at him

Jack flinched; the sound was grating on his already sensitive ears.

The owl continued to watch him curiously, getting a feel for Jack’s presence and perhaps deciding if Jack had any good snacks to eat. It wasn’t uncommon for all types of animals to show up for an easy meal. Brigitte welcomed all of them and liked to have snacks on hand.

Jack didn’t have any dead mice with him. The cats more than made sure there were no rodents around.

He held out his hands, showing the bird he had no tasty treats for them. He doubted that the predator would want to snack on meager birdseed. The owl inspected his hands, coming a few feet closer.

The sound of a little bell alerted the owl to leap into the air with a great beat of its wings, just in time for the lumbering kitten to miss it completely. The kitten rolled over itself and scampered upright, arching its back to try and appear bigger.

Jack chuckled. The owl was much bigger than the small kitten.

He noticed that the orange tabby lay down in the garden, choosing not to approach the owl while it flew up into the air and disappeared into the thick brush of the forest’s trees.

Jack wondered…he knew Gabriel was an owl shape shifter, but he wasn’t so sure. There were many barn owls in the area, and the chances of his former friend finding him were slim to none.

He surely wouldn’t have recognized Jack, or ‘Soldier’ in this case.

Whatever the situation, Jack had set a goal to get himself healthier so that he could try and get a second start at life.

He also knew that he wanted to reconnect with Gabriel; wanted to thank the human for all of his kindness and compassion towards him.

To do that he would need to get stronger first.

*

*

*

The days working in the coffee shop without Soldier felt dimmer and less exciting.

Gabriel knew he was still moping, but his staff showed extra kindness towards him, understanding that Soldier was as every bit a part of the family as anyone could be. Gabriel was mourning in a way, now that it had been two weeks since the feline made a run for it.

The shape shifter still often wondered where Soldier might’ve gone. After Ana’s forewarning, he wondered if there was something more attached to the little cursed cat than what he knew about. Even Akande had said that the curse was used by old, black magick.

To get caught up in that was concerning enough, and raised many questions.

Running the shop and having a daily routine of work and life took over Gabriel’s time and left little time for his mind to wander. He had already made up his mind that he would adopt another elderly cat in need at the shelter, while still holding out hope that Soldier would return and perhaps be pleased to have some feline company.

During his downtime, Gabriel scrolled through the different missing ads he had posted on social media websites, scouring through for any replies. Most people commented that they had shared his post, hoping that Soldier would come home soon.

He sighed, hating the feeling of not knowing.

It was late in the afternoon and most of the business was quiet. Genji was tidying up different areas of the café while Jesse began preparing the menu for tomorrow in the back.

Gabriel was half tempted to start working on a crossword puzzle on his phone, but the front door opened with a pleasant jingle to a red haired woman in a black shirt and purple tie.

She was tall and thin with a sharp face and reddish-orange hair. She looked around the café critically while she approached the front counter, never once acknowledging Gabriel’s presence, even as she looked at the menu behind him.

He cleared his voice, trying to be polite even though he was getting nothing but negative vibes from the woman’s strong presence. As a shape shifter, his senses were going haywire that something was wrong.

He could sense a powerful witch.

“Do you have any questions about our menu?”

The woman looked to him, her eyes a different color from each other. They were piercing and all knowing; both looking at and through him.

She smelled acrid and slightly of ammonia, making his nose burn.

He immediately felt uneasy.

“I’ll take a large black coffee with sugar, no cream.” The woman pulled out a $5 bill and slid it across to him. “Keep the change.”

“Thank you.” Gabriel put the change away and moved to his station, getting the witch’s coffee together. “How much sugar would you like?”

“Three pumps.”

He finished the drink per specification, his hands slightly shaky and time feeling like it had slowed down. He put a sleeve around the hot beverage and tried to calm his thoughts from spiraling out of control.

He handed the drink to her, their hands brushing.

She put her fingers over Gabriel’s knuckles, holding him still. He felt his body freeze suddenly, as if someone had taken control of his body.

“There’s something else you could help me with, Mr. Reyes.”

Gabriel looked between the witch’s eyes and the way her long dark purple nails dug into his skin.

He tried to pull his hand away, but she kept them still. Even as a grown man, he couldn’t pull away. He glanced to the side, finding that no one was seeming to mind the uncomfortable show of power. They were all…frozen in time. None of them moved or blinked.

The clock was stuck.

“What do you need?” Gabriel asked, defeated. He didn’t want to anger the witch, no matter how much he wanted her gone from his establishment. Witches who dealt in dark magick weren’t known for being level headed or fair in their tactics to get what they wanted.

If he played his cards right, he hoped she would take her coffee and leave him alone.

“I saw the missing ad for your cat. I was wondering if anyone has found him yet?”

Gabriel shook his head. “He’s gone. I haven’t seen him for weeks.”

The redhead eyed him critically. “Is that so…?”

“ _Yes_.” Gabriel hissed when he felt a burning sensation along his knuckles. He looked down to see a dark purple glow coming from the witch’s fingertips.

She huffed, letting Gabriel’s hand go while she held her coffee firmly. “Useless.”

The shape shifter took a step back, cradling his hand. The burns disappeared as if they hadn’t happened at all.

The older woman eyed him. “You know, that cat was _mine_ before he ran off. I’ve been searching for him for years, winding all the way up here of all places.”

“Who are you?”

The witch smiled. “Dr. O’Deorain. The cat belonged to me- I recognized his scars instantly when I saw your posts online. I know you must have adopted him or taken him in, but he’s very dear to me and I came to look for him in your…quaint little town.”

Warning bells went off in Gabriel’s mind while he schooled his face, trying to appear neutral. “He had no microchip or registration when animal services found him. He’s legally mine, now. Technically.”

The red head narrowed her eyes, not missing the touch of reproach in the man’s voice. “He didn’t require any of those things when he lived with me. I’m sure you understand.”  The witch explained. “I do hope that you find him. He’s a very sweet boy, isn’t he?”

The older man felt sick to his stomach. He knew this witch must have been the same one to have cursed Soldier. Perhaps Soldier had even sensed that she was coming. He wondered if that’s why he had made a run for it.

“It’s been weeks and he hasn’t showed up. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help to you.” Gabriel explained clearly. He didn’t want to piss off the witch, but he also wasn’t going to play her games.

The doctor tapped her nails on the countertop. “I suppose there isn’t much you can do, is there? Nonetheless, I’ll be back again soon.” She took a sip and immediately frowned, setting it back down. “Your coffee tastes like shit.”

Gabriel stood stock still while she turned away from the counter, taking with her the negative feeling of dread that emanated all around her. Before she left, she looked at him clearly. “You’re a good little shifter to not to lie to me. I would’ve so liked to have had an owl on my mantle.”

Gabriel gritted his teeth.

“If you do find Jack- or Soldier, if that’s what you’re calling him now, I will be back to collect him. It’s rude to take things that aren’t yours, Gabriel.” She smiled, sickeningly deviant. “Good day.”

The door shut behind her. He watched her form disappear down the sidewalk, rounding a bend and out of sight. Everyone in the café began to move in motion again, including the clocks, as if the witch had never been there.

The café owner gripped the side of the counter and took a deep breath, his nerves shot.

Jesse came out from the back of the shop, eyes darting around the space in alarm. “I smell one helluva nasty witch. What the hell just happened?”

Gabriel looked pale. “That witch is looking for Soldier- It’s _them_ , Jesse. She stopped time and started asking me questions- She burned my fingers-“

“What did you tell her?!” Jesse whispered urgently, still mindful that they had guests in the café. He covered his nose, which itched with the remaining fumes the dark energy had released. 

“I told her the truth- that we don’t know where he is.” Gabriel replied nervously.

Genji approached them with a frown. “Whatever just happened was not good. The patrons seemed to have been fine, but I was frozen for what felt like _minutes_. What is going on?”

Gabriel and Jesse exchanged nervous glances.

The dragon rolled his eyes. “Did you piss off a witch?”

“ _No_ , but my cursed cat did. We need to find Soldier before she gets to him.” Gabriel groaned, anxiety welling in his chest. “Isn’t there something either of you can do? I’ve already flown around most nights searching for him, but I haven’t found any white cats.”

“I could’ve told you that cat was cursed.” Genji muttered. “Whatever you need help with, let me know. We don’t want that witch coming back, and I would hate to see Soldier get captured by her.”

“I have a feeling she’ll be back, whether we like it or not.” Jesse whistled low. “I bet she even froze up our surveillance. All of our machines turned off in the back the moment she stepped in. Spirits knows what kind of power a witch like that has.”

“Nothing good.” Genji agreed.

Gabriel thought over the strange interaction, still feeling queasy after having been manipulated so quickly and by the witch’s sheer will. He held on to his hand, still feeling the residual burn even though his knuckles looked unscathed.

She was looking for Soldier…for Jack.

That must’ve been his cat’s human name.

“She said his name is Jack. I think that gives us a good enough clue in case we find any missing persons reports.” Gabriel offered.

“That isn’t much to go on.” Jesse ran his fingers across his chin. “Look, if this is a life or death deal, which it really seems it is, we will redouble our efforts. I could always get a hold of some wolf’s bane and force a transformation long enough to try and locate him.”

“That’s suicide. The local pack would hunt you down and skin you for that.” Genji disagreed. “We should avoid getting others involved. Haven’t you finished that harness yet for Gabriel to wear?”

Jesse waved the concern off. “Out of the three of us, I have the strongest nose. And with a dragon and a shifter by my side, the local pack can shove off. We need to do _something_ better than playing radar with the pendant.”

“No, I should fly out with the pendant as planned. However, the witch could also be hanging around and watching our moves.” Gabriel replied with a frown. “What if she’s waiting for us to find him and lead her to him?”

“Well...shit.” Jesse cursed.

Genji crossed his arms in defeat

“Wherever Soldier is, he’s smart. I have to trust that he’s hiding for his safety and doesn’t want to be found.” Gabriel explained. “If he needs help, I know he’ll come to me.”

“How can you be so sure?” Jesse raised a brow in question.

“Just a gut feeling.” Gabriel admitted. He wasn’t even completely sure that he could trust his own instincts, but the thought that Soldier had gotten away and would remain out of danger was what kept him going.

The shifter looked down at his hand, recalling the amount of power the witch possessed.

He hoped that Soldier- that  _Jack_ was safe.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Jack and Gabe ‘officially’ meet in the next chapter. n__n ((i.e. that 'slow burn' tag))
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